When A Pot Finds Its Purpose is a meditation on hope, aspiration, and the nature of human progress—and a cautionary tale of the risk of stagnation and the assumptions of infinite expansion. The overarching concept of Glenn Kaino’s work is inspired by a conversation with Bishop T.D. Jakes and his take on the logic of repotting in the world. Just as domesticated plants need room to fulfill their potential and roots to grow, repotting translates into a contextual slippage and the spatial expansion required for an idea to evolve and take greater form or for the intellectual growth within a person. The physical boundaries of the root ball represent occupation, densification, and the reduction of critical distance. By the time the roots saturate the existing soil, the entire system is in jeopardy.

Kaino suggests that we have arrived at that critical juncture. Technology, democracy, and human development have created circumstances of expansion and resource consumption that are far beyond anything imagined by our original architects. Our roots are impacted, our stories are intertwined, and this pot we are all living together in is out of date and at risk of breaking. What happens when the status quo is no longer acceptable?

This exhibition consists of three works that anchor the dialogue around these inquiries: Blue, a meditative work consisting of a series of simulated waves; Spill, a sculptural installation created from a tipped over pot in the form of the Liberty Bell; and Spontaneous Combustion (2:31:12), a recreation of the American flag soaked in a Civil War-era tarring solution. With these works, Kaino underscores that there is no one-size-fits-all model; there are dynamic forces that twist, turn, and stretch, and we must constantly be attuned to their shifting nature to ensure proper growth.