CLEANSE (Devour)
2026 On view
Artist Rachel Youn
DetailsSteel, aluminum, AC motor, hardware, nylon, UHMW, lattice, artificial kudzu ivy
Curator Raphael Fonseca
Address
2300 Falling Springs Rd
Sauget, IL
Site Description
Accessibility: This campus is outdoors at a postindustrial steel foundry and not fully ADA accessible. For your safety, closed-toe shoes are required. Visitors may explore the campus. Please remain mindful of your surroundings, stay on designated visitor routes and refrain from climbing on artifacts. Visitors under 18 years of age require supervision. Report any unsafe conditions to staff immediately. Portable ADA restrooms are available. Rideshare apps may not pick up from this location. Open Fri–Sat, 10 am – 5 pm by appointment only on other days. To book an appointment, email staff@nationalbuildingartscenter.org. You are invited to walk through this artwork. Please be respectful of the art as you move through it.
Artwork Details
About the Artwork
Rachel Youn creates artworks that combine deconstructed machines and objects from everyday life. Activated by electricity, these objects begin to move, creating surprising and theatrical experiences. CLEANSE (Devour) is a scaled-down car wash machine made with artificial plants, a material that frequently appears in Youn’s work. The movement of materials offers space to think about the connections between industry and nature, work and play, joy and melancholy. For Youn, a culture of work and repetition is often associated with immigrant labor, including within their own family, where sacrifice and productivity are prioritized.
Youn has a second artwork for Counterpublic 2026 at the International Institute of St. Louis.