PEARL FLAKES
2024
The project features a fictional cereal brand called “Pearl Flakes,” supposedly created by the Kellogg brothers from a Mexican corn species that produces pearls instead of kernels. This project examines two key periods of American cultural consumption in Mexico: the influence of the post-war economic boom in the 1950s and the signing of NAFTA in the 1990s, which coincide with both the artist's and his parents' childhoods in Mexico City.
The project is presented as a video installation that resembles a breakfast-themed television advertisement. Cereal boxes act as both projectors and projection surfaces, transforming them into screens that engage viewers while reflecting the artist's experiences of consuming cereal and watching television in the 1990s. The projected video mimics a 1950s advertisement, featuring visual prompts and a 1950s-style male AI radio voice that promotes pearl flakes for breakfast. The installation also includes a bowl of cereal made from crushed American faux pearls, pearl dust, and epoxy resin, along with an ear of corn crafted from American faux pearls, Mexican corn husks, and plaster.
The narrative weaves together personal and social commentaries on cultural consumption through John Kellogg’s writings aimed at modifying behavior through diet. The project contrasts pearls, associated with wealth and scarcity, with corn, a grain that held sacred significance in pre-Hispanic cultures and is now viewed as an accessible resource for mass-produced food in globalized economies. By examining these contrasting values, the artist invites viewers to reflect on how societal norms shape our understanding of worth and influence consumption patterns. The significance of “Pearl Flakes” lies in its critical exploration of how we assign value to cultural and food resources. The project fosters a dialogue about consumption, identity, and the historical contexts that inform our perceptions.
* There is no commercial affiliation with Kellogg's or Corn Flakes brands. The logos and imagery are used solely for creative purposes.
