Miya Hannan | Uncertain Certainty

Uncertain Certainty (2020-2022)

Uncertain Certainty (installation)

Exhibition at the opium den located underneath the historical Chinese Herb Shop in Truckee, CA

Certainty 1
Used Chair; 41" x 28" x 25"; 2020

Uncertainty 1
Soot on paper; 41" x 30"; 2020

Winding
Soot on paper, glass jars, soil, metal, wood; 25" x 13" x 5.5"; 2022

39.392632, -120.18281
Soil sample, glass jar, red candle, old opium bottle, found broken china pieces, used cabinet, speakers; 36" x 23.5" x 14"; 2022 (Sound is created by Reiko Yamada)

Footsteps
Soot on paper, glass jars, clay, wood; 92” x 36” x 5.5”; 2022

About the Chinese Herb Shop
“The Chinese Herb Shop is one of the most interesting, albeit mysterious, buildings in Truckee. It is also the last remaining structure of a large Chinese community which was part of Truckee’s second Chinatown between the years 1878 and 1886.”
“Few facts are known about the herb shop’s earliest occupants or its usage, but it appears to be the only survivor of Chinatown’s third major fire of suspicious origin, which broke out on June 17, 1886.”

from “Herb shop an important link to Truckee’s Chinese history” by Guy Coates, former research historian for the Truckee Donner Historical Society. For the whole article, please visit here.

Resonance (Truckee River)

Installation by Miya Hannan

Sound by Reiko Yamada

Soil from 5 locations around Reno, NV, silver ores, old Chinese coins, found Chinese medicine bottle, found broken china pieces, found old nails, candle, resin, glass jars, motors, copper pipe, silk, speakers

2022

This installation is based on the nearly forgotten histories of Asian communities in the Reno area. It uncovers the histories and memories of Asian immigrants who labored in the region's railroad and mining industries. Soil, objects, and stories were gathered from sites associated with these histories and incorporated into the installation. Each column represents a historical site in and around Reno. The numbers on the columns indicate the geographic coordinates where the soil was collected. Hidden within each column is a jar containing soil and objects that evoke the history of its location: the first contains silver ore and old Chinese coins; the second, a fragment of a Chinese medicine bottle; the third, old nails; the fourth, fragments of china and a red candle; and the fifth, a human finger bone. The copper pipe suspended near the ceiling and the white fabric extending from it trace the course of the Truckee River. The columns are positioned to correspond to the actual locations of the historical sites in relation to the river.