KARGO KULT

Kargo Kultis based off the real “cargo cult” in Melanesia that was started around WWII. The occupants of indigenous Islands received “packages” from the sky when military planes dropped cargo off to supply their soldiers. This cargo became precious and was integrated into their culture as a mythical religious experience. The occupants, to this day, worship, conserve and the landing strips where airplanes used to arrive and depart from. They recreated ricochet imitations of weapons, radios and large scale airplanes with local found material. Ridged military style routines were turned into magical dances and rituals in hopes to gain more artifacts from the “gods” . This fetishization of “cargo” is what I am exploring when realizing our consumer culture of shipping and manufacturing isn’t so far removed from the tribe in Tanna Island.

Using performance, video, photography and sculpture I’ve begun to recreate a mythical dream world. Found material is used to build our current shipping methods into grandiose god like creatures that are rather apocalyptic. Performative tribal dances and rituals enchanting the the rulers of amazon, UPS and Fed Ex are all part of this series. During this time I wish to also document videos from my drone (since amazon now is considering using drones as a way to deliver packages), create videos and continue my research on this topic to include those who work in the shipping and delivery system. Through the convergence of a post apocalyptic with indigenous tribal aesthetic I explore the possibility that if we do not question or current circumstance of consumerism we perhaps are being colonized by something far more greater than what we may be expecting in the mail.