In the Mother Tongue of a Warrior Poet
Kunstenaars
Language is an important part of our identity, and forms our identity. Words can define who and what we are. NEXT curator Zela Odessa Palmer selected six international artists who, each in their own way, deal with the (dis)function of language and its complicated relationship with identity. A public program will be organized around the exhibition.
During Museum Night, on Nov. 2, there will be a special program, including a guided tour, a performance and a karaoke event. Also on Nov. 2, there will be a workshop with artist Janneke Stofmeel for children. And on November 16 there is an afternoon in collaboration with the Authors’ Association, with Akwasi as a guest.
Not everyone is or feels represented by language. The words we use put some in a bad light; others are completely ignored. This exhibition does represent these groups – the artists depict how they find their own identity in words. They do so through multidisciplinary installations, videos, drawings, sculptures and textile works. In doing so, the artists invite visitors to reflect on their own use of language.
The idea for the exhibition was inspired in part by Audre Lorde’s essay Poetry is Not a Luxury. In it, she argues how poetry is an essential means of resistance and survival for marginalized groups.
Carlos Amorales (Mexico City, Mexico, 1970) is one of Mexico’s greatest contemporary artists. He is concerned with themes of migration and diaspora and their effects on the language a person speaks. In his video and publication “Life in the Folds,” he gives form to the alienating feeling of living between two languages, countries and cultures.
Silvia Gatti (Parma, Italy, 1983) explores the limits of the human body, making life-size drawings and video installations based on poetic texts. She focuses on physical and digital language.
Ramaz Goiati (Rustavi, Georgia, 1966)makes extensive use of the Georgian alphabet in his work, which he shapes in various ways. He refers to the fast-paced, conceptual “world of words” in which we live, a world in which words are more important than feelings.
Bodil Ouédraogo (Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1995) in her practice is always searching for her “Self”-her own identity-through clothing. With her textile works she discusses her European-African descent and themes such as diaspora and family. She was awarded the Amsterdam Prize for the Arts in 2022.
Natalia Papaeva (Buryatia, Siberia, 1989)uses language as a way to discuss the consequences of colonialism. She shares her personal experiences in narratives, through site-specific video installations in which she uses repetitions in her (mother) language.
Janneke Stofmeel (The Hague, Netherlands, 2000) Creates abstract textile works on the sewing machine. Her artistic practice explores the ambiguity of language, reflecting on direct and poetic communication. Her themes include feminism and the accessibility of language.
Image: Carlos Amorales