A new film installation by artist Naeem Mohaiemen is attracting international attention for its exploration of the events of May 4, 1970, at Kent State University, and their lasting influence on American political and cultural identity.
Titled Through a Mirror Darkly, the three-channel documentary is currently on display at Albany House in London. It juxtaposes the well-known 1970 Kent State tragedy – where four students were killed and nine others wounded by the National Guard during a Vietnam War protest – with the lesser-known police shooting of two Black students at Jackson State just 10 days later.
Mohaiemen, who came to the United States from Bangladesh in 1989, says the disparity in public memory between the two events inspired the project.
“Kent State was larger than life,” he said. “It took me another 15 years to hear about Jackson State. That different lives have different resonances.”
The installation blends archival footage with contemporary interviews, examining how narratives of law and order, class resentment and political polarization were shaped in the aftermath of these events.
📖 Read the full story on The Guardian: ‘Different lives have different resonances’: Naeem Mohaiemen explores Kent State shootings’ place in U.S. history.