Did you know 2019 is International Year of Indigenous Languages? Language and words are powerful, potent, and markers of culture and identity. Words are a constant in museums and galleries, but we might not realise it. When I visit a museum or gallery I view the art and artifacts, but I read the information alongside. I read the label to gain knowledge about the object, such as who made it or what it’s made of, almost like I’m using the label to justify why the object is in the museum or gallery. I bet it is safe to say that we read in museums and galleries more than we look at the thing we came to see. One gallery experience made me reflect on this practise, not because the pieces of art were so dazzling (which they were) or because the message was inspiring (which it was), but because I could not read the labels.
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| The Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, AB. Source. |
The curators of the exhibition, Amy Malbeuf and Jessie Ray Short, chose to display the labels in the language of the artist. For instance, Lori Blondeau (a Cree/Salteaux/Metis artist and scholar) had her label written in Cree and English. That being said, Blondeau was an exception, since most of the artists had their label written in their mother tongue only. Just as the sun and Metis identity are partially obscured, so was the exhibition, to me, a non-speaker.
Just saw Li Salay at the Art Gallery of Alberta. Super stoked to see the exhibits were all (save one) presented in the Indigenous language of the artist! There were booklets with translations if you wanted them. pic.twitter.com/705Fj8K1SA— âpihtawikosisân (@apihtawikosisan) August 9, 2018
More institutions are incorporating Indigenous languages in their didactics, but why? The Art Gallery of Canada (AGO) has chosen to display trilingual (English, French and Anishnaabemowin or Inuktitut, depending on the artist’s heritage) didactics throughout the J.S. McLean’s Center for Indigenous and Canadian Art in recognition that the institution was built on Mississauga Anishinaabe territory. Other institutions, such as the Manitoba Museum, utilize Indigenous languages because it is important for audiences to experience the language by seeing it, even if they cannot understand it.
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| The Self gallery in the J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous and Canadian Art at the AGO. Photo curtesy of Alexandra Forand. |
If we return to Li Salay, this was not the reason the labels were written in Indigenous languages. It can be argued that up until now, Metis art has been interpreted on Western terms, obscuring the true meaning of the work. Describing the art in the artist's mother tongue re-centres the Metis experience and works to obscure Western influence.
The labels written in Indigenous languages was a way for the artist to share their art with me, but not their story. You see they do not owe me their story and they do not have to justify their art to me. I, as an outsider, am only privy to partial information, to a half-story, to none of the power. It was not my place to interpret the art based on a Western understanding, but to enjoy this art as it was, perfectly partially obscured.
Did you get a chance to see Li Salay? Or have yo seen an exhibition with non-traditional didactic panels? Let me know! Please do not hesitate to contact me at allyforand@gmail.com or if Twitter and Instagram is more your speed my handle on both is @Ally_but_online.
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