Empty Stomachs
Installation
Brown paper bags
18 ft x 4 ft x 11 in.
2020
A site specific verson created in 2022 is on display here:
Empty Stomachs is an installation about child hunger. Many students depend on school meals
to eat breakfast and lunch, therefore during school breaks these students go without balance meals. During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, an innumerable amount of students were stuck
at home hungry. Poverty can limit a family's budget for food expenses. School lunches, which
are often subsidized or provided at a reduced cost, help alleviate the financial burden on
families, ensuring that children receive regular meals.
The original Empty Stomachs installation was arranged in a West Louisville neighborhood. This
specific neighborhood is considered a food desert. Food desert neighborhoods often lack
grocery stores, farmers' markets, and other sources of fresh and healthy food. Instead,
residents may rely on convenience stores or fast-food outlets, which tend to offer less nutritious
options.
The paper bags in the installation are empty and represent the many students going without
balanced meals while living in a location where there aren’t any fresh produce grocery stores
nearby. The bags also resemble urban architecture like low income/income based housin apartments. Statistically, people of color are more likely to live in poverty, especially in urban settings. Historical patterns of systemic racism, such as redlining, discriminatory lending
practices, and housing policies, have led to the concentration of poverty in many communities of
color. These economic challenges can limit residents' ability to access and afford healthy food
options.
This installation was created to spread awareness about systematic issues like food insecurity.
Addressing food deserts in communities of color requires a comprehensive approach that
tackles these systemic issues. Initiatives aimed at increasing economic opportunities,
eliminating discriminatory practices, and improving access to affordable, healthy food can help mitigate the impact of food deserts on marginalized communities.
(Empty Stomachs II is a site-specific installation with the same goal of raising awareness about
child hunger in low-income neighborhoods, only this installation brings the viewers thoughts
about hunger into a domestic environment.)
to eat breakfast and lunch, therefore during school breaks these students go without balance meals. During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, an innumerable amount of students were stuck
at home hungry. Poverty can limit a family's budget for food expenses. School lunches, which
are often subsidized or provided at a reduced cost, help alleviate the financial burden on
families, ensuring that children receive regular meals.
The original Empty Stomachs installation was arranged in a West Louisville neighborhood. This
specific neighborhood is considered a food desert. Food desert neighborhoods often lack
grocery stores, farmers' markets, and other sources of fresh and healthy food. Instead,
residents may rely on convenience stores or fast-food outlets, which tend to offer less nutritious
options.
The paper bags in the installation are empty and represent the many students going without
balanced meals while living in a location where there aren’t any fresh produce grocery stores
nearby. The bags also resemble urban architecture like low income/income based housin apartments. Statistically, people of color are more likely to live in poverty, especially in urban settings. Historical patterns of systemic racism, such as redlining, discriminatory lending
practices, and housing policies, have led to the concentration of poverty in many communities of
color. These economic challenges can limit residents' ability to access and afford healthy food
options.
This installation was created to spread awareness about systematic issues like food insecurity.
Addressing food deserts in communities of color requires a comprehensive approach that
tackles these systemic issues. Initiatives aimed at increasing economic opportunities,
eliminating discriminatory practices, and improving access to affordable, healthy food can help mitigate the impact of food deserts on marginalized communities.
(Empty Stomachs II is a site-specific installation with the same goal of raising awareness about
child hunger in low-income neighborhoods, only this installation brings the viewers thoughts
about hunger into a domestic environment.)