'Speech Act' highlights the work of nine international artists in Fosdick-Nelson Gallery
Alfred University’s Fosdick-Nelson Gallery beginning Feb. 19 will host a presentation by nine international artists whose work spans video, sound, sculpture, digital print and collage. The multi-media exhibit, SPEECH ACT: Words, Sounds and Transmissions by Citizens of the Polis, is curated by Israeli artist Gali Greenspan, of Alfred.
Alfred University’s Fosdick-Nelson Gallery beginning Feb. 19 will host a presentation by nine international artists whose work spans video, sound, sculpture, digital print and collage. The multi-media exhibit, SPEECH ACT: Words, Sounds and Transmissions by Citizens of the Polis, is curated by Israeli artist Gali Greenspan, of Alfred, and brings together work by artists Tamar Zohara Ettun, Assaf Evron, Michal Helfman, Talia Keinan, Karam Natour, Roee Rosen, Chaya Ruckin-Berkman, Ruti Sela, and Talia Tokatly.
Speech Act aims to present aspects of participation in the political sphere, in the context of both the past and present, in the possibilities of speaking and healing, and in being an observer while at the same time being an actor. In describing the exhibit, Greenspan cites the work of political theorist Hannah Arendt, noting that action and speech are co-equal gestures in the political sphere. As Arendt says in her 1958 book The Human Condition, “Speechless action would no longer be action because there would no longer be an actor.”
The wide range of work in this international show asks the viewer to consider various ways oral and visual communication can foster connections, influence decisions, and motivate change. Multiple languages and multi-cultural locations are featured throughout the exhibition. Languages include Arabic, English, Hebrew, Spanish; locations include Germany, Marseille, United States, Tel-Aviv, Nazareth, Syria, Brooklyn, Egypt, Jaffa, Washington D.C., Jerusalem, and Buenos Aires.
Speech Act will be at the Fosdick-Nelson Gallery from Feb. 19 to March 22. Gallery hours are 11am – 4pm weekdays and 1-3pm on Saturday and Sunday. For more information contact Fosdick-Nelson Gallery Director, Sharon McConnell or visit the gallery website.