Molly Gochman

https://redsandproject.org

@redsandproject

Red Sand Project is a participatory artwork created by Molly Gochman that uses sidewalk interventions and earthwork installations to create opportunities for people to question, connect with, and take action against the vulnerabilities that can lead to human trafficking and exploitation.  

Globally, an estimated 40.3 million individuals live in slavery, whether in forced marriages, forced labor, or sexual exploitation. Gochman recognized that to begin finding a solution to such a widespread challenge, increased public awareness and engagement would be essential. She initiated the first Red Sand Project action in Miami, where she filled the cracks of sidewalks in and around the Art Basel Miami Beach pavilion with red sand. The approach was symbolic, with the grains of sand representing those individuals who fall through the cracks— both the cracks of our social, economic, and political systems, and those of our personal consciousness. At the same time, the performative aspect of actively filling sidewalk cracks offered Gochman a way to engage people, with curious onlookers becoming unexpected participants in the conversation.