Mika Rottenberg’s video installation Cosmic Generator presents surreal glances into systems of exchange between the feeders and the fed of the global economy. Flows of transnational capital, economic codependency, excesses of production, and signs of an expanding mono-culture are all targeted by the gaze of Rottenberg’s camera. Join us, in collaboration with the Labor Archives of Washington at UW, for a two-part exploration where we will examine the intersections between Rottenberg’s short film, the concepts of In Plain Sight, and Seattle’s rich history of solidarity and organizing among working people. 

Starting at the Henry, we will view Cosmic Generator in its entirety, followed by a discussion that reflects upon the connections between local experiences and the playfully-portrayed systems central to the film’s critique. From the Henry, we will walk a short distance to the University of Washington Special Collections to view and learn about a selection of ephemera from the Labor Archives of Washington. These objects of living histories, curated by Conor Casey, Head of Labor Archives, will offer access to Pacific Northwest workers’ issues, including transnational labor, racialized and gendered work, intersectional organizing, and communities of resistance.