By Michael James Rocha | [email protected] | The San Diego Union-Tribune
When artist Kip Fulbeck reached out to the Museum of Us and let them know that he was revisiting “The Hapa Project,” his groundbreaking photographic study of race and identity, the Balboa Park institution was more than happy to listen.
In 2001, Fulbeck photographed 1,200 individuals who self-identified as multiracial and asked them to answer one question: “What are you?” Their answers were juxtaposed with their photos, and “The Hapa Project” was born. Some of those portraits have been on display at the Museum of Us as part of its “Race: Are We So Different?” exhibit.
Now, 25 years later, Fulbeck, who received undergraduate and graduate degrees from University of California San Diego, has reconnected with 130 people who were part of the original project. Fulbeck has rephotographed his subjects and asked them to write new personal statements.
This new effort has resulted in “hapa.me — 25 Years of The Hapa Project,” which opened in May. It’s an exhibit that the museum hopes will pair quite nicely with another exhibit opening later this year, “Race: Power, Resistance & Change.”
This exhibit “highlights the very personal experience of reflecting on what it means to be you,” said Micah Parzen, CEO of the Museum of Us. “The Museum of Us is a place for all to share perspectives and reflect on the human experience. We hope ‘hapa.me’ will inspire visitors to think deeply about what makes us all different and yet so alike.”
Kate Clyde, senior director of exhibits and experience design at the Museum of Us, shares some insights about the new exhibit.
Q: Tell us how Kip Fulbeck and his “hapa.me — 25 Years of The Hapa Project” fits perfectly into the Museum of Us’ mission.
A: “The Hapa Project” first appeared at the museum when we rented the exhibit “Race: Are We So Different?” in 2011. The exhibit was such a clear fit for the work we are doing at the museum that years later, in 2015, we purchased the exhibit to become a permanent experience in our galleries. Having Kip’s work on display over the years has helped us facilitate complex conversations about personal identities and to think critically about the construction of race.
As we develop a new exhibit focused on race and identity specific to our multinational border region — including San Diego, Tijuana and the Kumeyaay Nation — public engagement has been a critical part of the process. Through community advisory councils, interviews, surveys and evaluations, one theme came through clearly. Kip’s work resonates. Visitors connect with it. They see themselves in it. They want to be part of it. His work invites people to speak for themselves, in their own words — not through checkboxes or externally imposed categories — and that’s deeply powerful.
Q: As the Museum of Us’ exhibits and experience team worked together to install this exhibit, what was your main goal?
A: When Kip let us know that he was growing the project, we jumped at the chance to work with him. Through listening to our visitors, it was clear that Kip’s expanded exhibit, “hapa.me — 25 Years of The Hapa Project,” would be an impactful experience. It felt meaningful to bring this exhibit to our space and deliver on what visitors have asked to see more of. On top of that, Kip was able to find and reconnect with people who not only participated in the project 25 years ago, but who are also from the San Diego area. It’s a very localized exhibit in that way, which is wonderful. We were really happy to support Kip and the work that he’s been doing with community for so long.
Q: Ultimately, a visit to a museum is a very personal experience, especially for an exhibit like this that’s rooted in personal narratives and journeys. What do you hope the viewer will gain from seeing this exhibit?
A: I hope this is a space where people can reflect on who they are, who they want to be, and how they see themselves. Something I really appreciate about this iteration of “The Hapa Project” is that we have the participants’ personal statements from 25 years ago, and we have their new statements they provided very recently. To me, it is a beautiful meditation on how our identity evolves and the fluid nature of identity.
We as people are not fixed in a moment in time. We grow in different ways as life moves forward, which is reflected in how these personal statements changed over time. I think there’s a sense of freedom in that — you don’t have to be who you are right now, you can grow in all kinds of ways. You can be who you want to be. We get to choose.
I also hope that people feel less categorized by outside forces. For example, the government census that happens every 10 years is, in some ways, a necessary tool. In other ways, it doesn’t feel great to look at a list of options and not strongly identify with any of them but still have to check a box anyway. I hope that by hosting exhibits such as “hapa.me – 25 Years of The Hapa Project,” we are creating spaces where people can think critically about these systems and whether there are better ways to make space for people to identify themselves.
Admission: $19.95 for adults and $16.95 for military, senior, students with I.D., children ages 6 to 17 and educators with I.D.
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