Jes Fan, Xenophoria, 2018–20. HD video, color, silent; 7:35 min. Courtesy the artist and Empty Gallery, Hong Kong

Xenophoria (2018-20) chronicles Jes Fan's (b. 1990, Toronto, Canada) pursuit of eumelanin pigment, the molecule responsible for skin color found in both human and non-human bodies. Referencing the aesthetics of both microscopic imagery and autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos, Xenophoria includes actions such as dissecting squids, harvesting fungi, and locating bodily moles. Fan presents an absurdist investigation and fetishization of the molecule responsible for centuries of racial othering, suggesting how this molecule in fact exists within all of us. Xenophoria is presented as part of the 2021 Triennial, “Soft Water Hard Stone,” on view at the New Museum from October 28, 2021–January 23, 2022.