VALYA
1955
USA
EVERYTHING BUT MEMORY. BABA. 2010. Merino wool, hand wet felted. 620 x 580 cm
This story is real and personal, but universal. Lou was adopted. For many years, he tried to figure out who his real parents were, but without success. In time, Lou finally gave up trying. Surprisingly, the developments of modern science have made it possible to uncover his secret in an absolutely amazing way. The answer was buried in his blood, or, to be more precise, in the molecules of his DNA.
It appears our blood is a time machine where the greatest history of all time is written and only over the last decade have we discovered how to read it. For the past 15 years scientists have been using cutting edge bio and genetic technology to investigate our history, the history of human beings, the history of how we have conquered the world. Today, we finally know the truth.
Lou completed his DNA test when he was 72 years old. One morning he called us. The message was short: “According to my DNA both my parents were from Finland. I am a Finn!” This was the most shocking news I’d ever heard. How could it be possible that in each cell of our body is written information about our ancestors, about their travel on the planet Earth?!
Today each of us can surely trace his/her roots back 50,000 years. That was the time when our brave ancestors started their journey from Africa to conquer the world. Africa is the birthplace of every human being. Until that time, we were all just one small family on the planet. Today, each of us carries our own unique chapter.
The discovery of such an amazing secret that is kept in our body excites me, amazes me, and makes a huge influence in my art. BABA is my gratitude and memorial for our Mother Earth, for the Mother EVE, Mother of us all, people living on the planet Earth today. BABA’s wrinkled face looks at us with bitterness, sorrow, forgiveness, and as mothers always do, with love and acceptance.