Until We Fill the Ocean by IS/LAND
Presented in partnership with IS/LAND and Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF)
Thursday, March 11, 2027 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 12, 2027 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: General Admission ($30); Elder/Industry ($20); Non-Columbia Student/Child ($10); Free to Columbia College Chicago students.
IS/LAND makes its Dance Center debut with the Chicago premiere of Until We Fill the Ocean – an evening-length, interdisciplinary work blending sound, dance, and poetry to honor the detainees on San Francisco Bay’s Angel Island from 1910 through 1940.
Angel Island Immigration Station restricted and limited Asian immigration to the U.S. by detaining and interrogating newcomers there for months and sometimes years. Detainees’ poems, inscribed on the barracks walls, are haunting records of harsh conditions, confinement, loneliness, and defiance. Using this specific history of intolerance and hatred directed at Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people in the United States as a framework, Until We Fill the Ocean asks audiences to reflect on broader patterns currently affecting all marginalized populations in the U.S. socio-political landscape.
"Our ultimate goal is that audiences take away more than just an understanding of the human spirit's resilience in the face of inhumane circumstances. We hope to inspire a sense of vigilance within our own humanity, urging us all as participants in society to stand firm against rising intolerance and bigotry." - Chien-An Yuan, IS/LAND founding member
IS/LAND is an interdisciplinary performance collaborative composed of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists and collaborators whose performances center movement, storytelling, and aesthetics as processes to explore the extensive and diverse landscape of AAPI lived experience, including an increased focus on optimizing audience engagement through reflection, education, and dialogue. IS/LAND has been commissioned by Synapse Arts, Pivot Arts, and the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation and has performed at the Cranbrook Art Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Public Library, A2AC Gallery, Ann Arbor District Library, Spread Art, and Links Hall. Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) For all immigrants, descendants, and families, Angel Island is a living landmark that symbolizes diverse experiences of detention, racism, exclusion, hope, and determination. The Foundation protects the historic site, elevates its stories, promotes learning, and celebrates the new beginnings and immigrant contributions that define the strength of the US. We inspire a more equitable and inclusive future; one that embodies how immigrants make nations better. AIISF is committed to a future in which all persons across the US understand the history of immigration through Angel Island; leverage this knowledge by treating immigrants with increased respect and empathy; and are committed to increasing equity, justice, and belonging for all communities.
Banner Image: Photo Credit: Chien-An Yuan
