Take part in a simulated bureaucratic environment where you can complete a modified version of an Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) citizenship application, present an officially issued form of identification, and have your photograph taken; the photo is then attached and the form notarized by a notary that will be present during the activation times. The imitation documents join an ever-growing collection of completed applications, with a selection of them exhibited on the wall behind the desk. In return, participants receive a limited set of prints based on Ward’s drawings.
While the challenges of the immigration and naturalization process remain opaque to most Americans, Ward’s installation reveals the vulnerable position of those seeking United States citizenship and the complex processes of exchange that citizenship entails.
