May 13, 2017 - September 4, 2017
Organized by the Varley Art Gallery of Markham
Featuring the work of Chun Hua Catherine Dong, Raafia Jessa, Jihee Min, Yvonne Singer, Shellie Zhang, Alize Zorlutuna
Curated by Anik Glaude
Language is a universal and abstract system of sounds and symbols. Yet, the social, political and cultural contexts in which a language is spoken greatly affects its development and usages. In ever increasingly globalized societies, our sociolinguistic identity is not often singular. The language we speak at home, or learned as a child – our mother tongue – may not be the same one used in our everyday lives. Mother Tongue invites us to consider the complex relationships that exist between language and identity; how it defines who we are and how it can inform visual artistic practice.
Images:
1-3. Installation view, Mother Tongue, Varley Art Gallery of Markham, 2017. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid
4-5. Opening reception and performance, Mother Tongue, Varley Art Gallery of Markham, 2017. Photo: Tony Chao