Brad Hwang has mastered the art of creating moments of community. For this purpose, he builds objects whose purpose only fully unfold through the participation of other people. When the moment passes, the objects remain as substrates of past communication and interaction. About the attempt to work in a constructive and socially responsible manner, the artist wrote an essay entitled »Ghost Investigation« in 2011. This essay he read for us during his artist residency in Ludwigsburg in the summer of 2021.

During this period, he built a loom with an integrated hugging apparatus. The art piece confronted us with the longing for human closeness and the search for social connection. In different spots in Ludwigsburg, he invited people into a conversation, following the use of the device for an intimate embrace and then to interweave their wishes. The result was a collective work of art, in which written wishes and longings are now persistently connected in a weaving piece.

The artist residency was generously supported by the Wüstenrot Foundation.