Through intricate, small-scale sculptures, Snelling captures the essence of daily life in urban spaces, integrating photos, sounds and lights, to create an immersive experience in “About Us”. This project is a vibrant exploration of urban life and community, showcased at The Human Safety Net at Venice’s Procuratie Vecchie, by Tracey Snelling. Her works reflect a deep understanding of the human condition, environments and its related communities, which she has accumulated through extensive travels to create work that has cultural impact.
The project aligns seamlessly with the mission of a foundation dedicated to supporting vulnerable families and refugees. Through her art, Snelling hopes to address critical themes such as inclusion, poverty and the universal human desire for love, acceptance, security and happiness. The exhibition, in distilling complex social issues, not only highlights the struggles of those living in inhumane conditions, but also underscores the potential for growth and resilience within these communities, as well as to encourage interconnectedness between her visitors, to ultimately inspire empathy.
In collaboration with The Human Safety Net, Snelling’s work aims to foster a deeper understanding of the foundation’s goals: unlocking the potential of individuals in vulnerable situations to have a transformative impact on their lives.
Popspoken: Can you elaborate on how your travels have influenced the themes and subjects of your work in this project?
Tracey Snelling: Most of my travels since I’ve been an adult have been for art residencies or exhibitions, which is a different experience than traveling as a tourist. These experiences, often long stays, have allowed me to gain a deeper view of daily life and to integrate a bit more with the people and culture. Although 6 months living in a place is still very short and I remain an outsider in many ways, I am able to understand more about the place and its people than if on a short visit. Throughout all of the travels I’ve made, I realize that while we are different in many ways, at the core we all really want the same things–love, acceptance, security, and happiness. This thought makes the world seem like a friendlier, more welcoming place to be.
Popspoken: How do you hope visitors will connect with the themes of urban living and community depicted in your works, beyond just taking pictures and sharing them on social media?
Tracey Snelling: I ultimately hope that my works will open the viewer’s mind in some way, and might even motivate one to help others from viewing this. Or possibly the works can inspire us to think about how we are more alike than different and can help relax some prejudices, and encourage a deeper understanding of each other.
Popspoken: What inspired you to create the “About Us” project for The Home of The Human Safety Net?
Tracey Snelling: When Luca Massimo Barbero, the curator for the Art Studio at The Home of The Human Safety Net, asked me to do the project, we talked about what the organization was about and how many of my works already relate to their mission. Together, we expanded on the ideas of inclusion, what it means to be a foreigner, and the overwhelming issue of poverty and how to address this within the context of the exhibition. We chose words that relay our sentiments about the project: home, together, hugs, we, and the title phrase: “About Us”, which were also included in signs throughout the show.
Popspoken: How do you see your art contributing to the foundation’s mission of supporting vulnerable families and refugees?
Tracey Snelling: In my installation in the entryway “Everything is Everything” I chose videos and images from around the world that show some of the struggles that happen when a society doesn’t care for the most vulnerable, as well as media that shows how we all can thrive when given adequate shelter and support. The works in the art studio speak more to inclusion and how we are so different from one another, yet also alike in the end. These both illustrate the foundation’s mission in a complex yet understandable way that resonates on many levels.
Popspoken: Have there been any particular stories or experiences that you have come across whilst creating this project that have deeply resonated with you and could you elaborate on some of these examples?
Tracey Snelling: While working on this project, Choulay Mech, a journalist from Cambodia and Zen Teh, an artist from Singapore, shared with me the traumatic news that many families that have lived in Angkor Wat for generations were forced to relocate to a less inhabitable area in Cambodia. Choulay and Zen started a project called Angkor Project, of which I am a part of, as well as other artists and architects. This project hopes to raise awareness and to help through arts-based interventions and environmental construction. We are now in the process of raising money and outreach.
During this time I have also been reading a book “Poverty by America” by Matthew Desmond, which demonstrates how America creates and sustains poverty, and also gives ideas on how to end poverty in America. He also wrote a book called “Evicted” which relates more to housing and the difficulties of attaining adequate safe housing once one has been evicted, and how poverty keeps others wealthy. This book had quite an influence on me and further deepened my interest in the issue of housing precarity.
Discover the Human Safety Net here. Running till 24 March 2025, the exhibition complements the interactive permanent display, “A World of Potential.”
