How to Extract the Story of Appalachia

"Fia Backström describes her experience of West Virginia as akin to being called by aliens, framing the region in a way that echoes a long history of it being seen as strange and backward."

"The exhibition continues a long tradition of recklessly extracting trauma from Appalachia for cultural capital, positioning Backström as an authority despite her limited engagement with the state."

"Appalachians are rarely given space to tell our own stories, as narratives are often shaped by outsiders like Backström, who operate within elite art institutions."

"Both Backström and O'Neill-Butler flatten the complexity of West Virginia, casting the state in a singularly negative light that ignores its diverse narratives."

Fia Backström's exhibition at the Queens Museum presents a narrow view of West Virginia, framing it as a site of suffering. This perspective perpetuates a long-standing tradition of extracting trauma for cultural gain. The exhibition overlooks the voices of local residents, who are often marginalized in narratives about their own communities. Critics argue that Backström's limited engagement with the state fails to capture its complexity and richness, reinforcing negative stereotypes while sidelining authentic Appalachian stories.

Read at Hyperallergic