Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis hosting free Cahokia event
The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) and Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site will present a free public talk exploring the ancient civilization of Cahokia and its influence on a contemporary artwork by internationally renowned artist Haegue Yang. Misa Jeffereis, CAM’s Associate Curator and organizer of the exhibition “Haegue Yang: Quasi-Heartland,” will be in conversation with Dr. Angela Cooper, Site Services Specialist II for Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, to discuss the links between our contemporary moment and Yang’s Mound Vehicles, and the historic civilizations of the Mississippian mound builder ancestors.
“Mound Vehicles: Misa Jeffereis in conversation with Dr. Angela Cooper” will be held at CAM on Thursday, January 29, from 6:00–8:00 pm. Registration is encouraged; visit www.camstl.org to reserve your spot.
To mark Yang’s exhibition, “Quasi-Heartland,” which is on view through February 8, 2026, CAM commissioned Yang to create a new work. The resulting sculpture, Mound Vehicles, was inspired by Yang’s 2024 visit to Cahokia and engages with the St. Louis region’s precolonial history and the Mississippi River landscape. Mound Vehicles is a room-sized sculptural installation featuring custom Venetian blinds—Yang’s signature material—in blue and green hues. The green blinds reference the grass that covers most existing mounds, while the blue blinds represent the Mississippi River and subterranean water. Taking the shape of a mound in four component parts, the sculpture is outfitted with brown, branch-like handlebars and casters to allow the work to be “activated” and brought to life by facilitators who enact a series of choreographed movements to mobilize the sculpture.
The sculpture has been activated each month throughout the exhibition season, and the final activation of Mound Vehicles will take place during CAM’s First Friday: Sights and Sounds on Friday, February 6 at 8:00 pm.
The conversation between Jeffereis and Dr. Cooper will explore concepts that relate to Cahokia and Mound Vehicles, including pilgrimage and procession, how contemporary forms of expression connect with histories of our human relationship with the land, and the importance of Indigenous experiences and perspectives.
The evening will also include a pop-up shop highlighting Indigenous artists and cultural stewards, both based in St. Louis as well as those whose relationships with the surrounding lands and waters predate and transcend colonial borders. Featured contributors include Lydia Cheshewalla, Kassie Kussman, Veronica Pipestem, Rico Rose, and Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. A reception with complimentary light bites will follow, with drinks available for purchase.
Event Details
What: Mound Vehicles: Misa Jeffereis in conversation with Dr. Angela Cooper
Where: Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (3750 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108)
When: January 29, 2026 Time: 6:00 pm–8:00 pm
Admission: This event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged.
Schedule
5:30 pm: Doors open to visit pop-up exhibit and galleries
6:15 pm: Conversation between Misa Jeffereis and Dr. Angela Cooper
7:00 pm: Reception
Related Events
Friday, February 6
Mound Vehicles activation 8:00 pm
About the Artist
Since the mid-1990s, Haegue Yang (b. 1971 in Seoul, South Korea) has lived and worked in Seoul and Berlin and currently teaches at her alma mater, the Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
In 2018, Yang won the Wolfgang Hahn Prize at Ludwig Museum in Cologne and in 2022 was awarded the 13th Benesse Prize during the Singapore Biennale.
Yang’s work is represented in prominent institutional and private collections all over the world, including the Guggenheim New York; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Centre Pompidou, Paris, and Tate Modern, London.
