The Many Ghosts of Martin Van Buren

Sometimes called Kinderhook’s “favorite son”, 8th U.S. President Martin Van Buren retired to his birthplace following his reelection defeat in 1840.  (The Many Ghosts of Martin Van Buren) is a video work situated inside of a cardboard replica of Van Buren’s historic home Lindenwald in Kinderhook, composed as a puppet theatre.

The video features an elderly Van Buren sitting down to pen his autobiography when he is suddenly paid a visit by ghosts from his political past.  Cinque, leader of the famed Amistad slave mutiny, together with “a stereotype of a Cherokee brave” confront Van Buren about his support of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which lead to the “Trail of Tears” ethnic cleansing under his administration, as well as for his political opposition to the abolition of slavery during his tenure.  

Based around the song “My Memoirs”, the project was commissioned for an exhibition at La Casa Encendida and the video became the first episode of “The O.K. Show” on the online television network Conglomerate, later installed at WNTRP, Berlin and featured on Artviewer’s SCREEN section.

For more information about Martin Van Buren and his legacy please read this booklet.