Sasha Fishman '24, an alum and adjunct assistant professor at Columbia, presents her solo exhibition "Shad Mode" at ILY2 Gallery in Portland, Oregon. The show, which stems from her summer residency at ILY2, features sculptures made from materials like egg yolk-tanned sturgeon skin, ceramics, UV prints, and lamprey teeth, exploring the relationships between fish, their ecosystems, and human intervention. Works such as "Immortal by Wifi" and "Each Time You Bathe Me" blend natural and synthetic elements, while a fish cannon encircles the gallery, highlighting modern technologies used to transport fish over dams.
The exhibition matters because it addresses urgent ecological and ethical questions about how humans direct species evolution and manage natural systems, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. By engaging with both the Army Corps-run Bonneville Lock and Dam and tribal hatcheries of the Yakama Nation, Fishman connects contemporary art to real-world environmental restoration and indigenous knowledge. The show exemplifies how visual art can serve as a platform for critical dialogue on conservation, sustainability, and the paradoxes of human intervention in nature.