Date/Time
Date(s) - 22/12/2025 - 31/12/2025
All Day / Toute la journée
Categories
I have been invited to submit a poster for the Inuit-Turk III International Poster Exhibition at the BAIBU Facility of Fine Arts in Merkez, Turkey. The theme is climate change. Follows a description of the work.
The soft sculpture seen in the photo represents an Aglu, or breathing hole in the sea ice for a seal. This hole is created by the seal and requires constant maintenance to ensure the seal has a supply of air. The work represents the traditional life of Inuit and the seal hunt. The aglu or breathing hole is the symbol of the survival of both seal and Inuit.
The red beads are numbered at 215. They are a reference to the Residential Schools in Canada, the first 215 anomalies described as unmarked graves, bodies of children, that were discovered on the grounds of what was a residential school in Kamploops, Canada.
Traditional Inuit life, the consequences of residential schools on the indigenous people of Canada and climate change are interconnected. Inuit are striving to maintain their knowledge and skills while struggling to adapt to a modern world including climate change. Having been forced to abandon their ancestral lands, their languages and traditional survival skills, Inuit find themselves fighting to survive on many levels. This work speaks of ‘breathing’, physically, culturally and spiritually.
The heading: Qaujimajatuqangit refers to Inuit ancestral knowledge. Joining forces with modern technology is the only logical way towards learning how to navigate and manage climate change. Like the aglu, we are responsible for the care and ethical use of our beautiful blue planet to ensure a safe and stable environment for future generations.
The technique is soft sculpture with felted wool, copper and glass beads and is part of the body of work: Blankets and Beads, from Cultural Oppression to Cultural Expression.
