TERGLOBA (2007)
March 10 - April 15, 2007
Oakland University Art Gallery, Rochester MI
curated by Vagner M. Whitehead
Esperanto was introduced in 1887 by Dr. L.L. Zamenhof after. This constructed language was intended to create a communicable common denominator world-wide, as "a second language that would allow people who speak different native languages to communicate, yet at the same time retain their own languages and cultural identities (...) Esperanto is politically unbiased" (from the ELNA official site www.esperanto-usa.net).
"Globalization refers to the worldwide phenomenon of technological, economic, political and cultural exchanges, brought about by modern communication, transportation and legal infrastructure as well as the political choice to consciously open cross-border links in international trade and finance. It is a term used to describe how human beings are becoming more intertwined with each other around the world economically, politically, and culturally. Although these links are not new, they are more pervasive than ever before"(from en.wikipedia.org).
The positive promise of globalization, of all good things shared and accessed by all, has not fully come true yet. We still live in a world ridden with problems, such as starvation, disease, terrorism, and inequality, where a few people control the majority of all goods. Esperanto has also not fulfilled its promise either, but it carries in its name the hope for a better, more inclusive future. With that in mind, what is the role of contemporary art and artists in this debate?
TERGLOBA is Esperanto for the term "global". The artists featured in this exhibition explore different facets of globalization (good and bad), articulating in their artistic practice their critique, perspective, and opinion. This exhibition presents works in a variety of media (painting, sculpture, photography, video, performance and hypermedia)by artists from around the world.
Featuring: Merchant Adams, Carola Dreidemie, Hasan Elahi, Susan Evans, John Craig Freeman, Jiawei Gong, Robin Lasser, Valerie Mendoza, Alexander Mouton, Adrienne Pao, Michael Salmond, Dread Scott, Karina Aguilera Skvirsky, Melissa Shiff, Dmitry Strakovsky, Hong-An Truong.
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