Wood Land School Rejects "The Americas Were a Gift" at documenta 14 in Kassel and Athens
At documenta 14 in Athens, Duane Linklater dismissed the idea of the Americas as "a gift," arguing that Indigenous histories challenge this perspective. Similarly, during a workshop in Kassel, Tanya Lukin Linklater underscored the importance of kindness and compassion in art, particularly in the context of colonial violence. The Wood Land School showcased "A gesture for documenta" in an intimate venue, featuring contributions from Montreal, such as Layli Long Soldier's poetry and a video by Elisa Harkins and Nathan Young. Candice Hopkins elaborated on the project's themes of "being-with" and "cultural belongings," referencing the fleeting recognition of Native art in 1992 and the lasting repercussions of Columbus's violent arrival in the Americas.
Key facts
- Duane Linklater refused the statement "the Americas were a gift" during a documenta 14 artist talk in Athens.
- Tanya Lukin Linklater rejected a workshop participant's threat to draw on the floor with charcoal, calling conversation a methodology in Wood Land School.
- Wood Land School hand-carried works from Montreal to Kassel and installed them in a provisional space in the Stellwerk as A gesture for documenta.
- Lukin Linklater brought Layli Long Soldier's poetry book Whereas and showed a collaborative video by Elisa Harkins and Nathan Young.
- A fourth Wood Land School gesture in Montreal was scheduled to open September 21.
- Candice Hopkins discussed "being-with" and reframing art objects as "cultural belongings."
- Hopkins noted a short-lived 1992 mainstream interest in Native art tied to the 400-year anniversary of Columbus's landing.
- Hopkins described Columbus's crew building the first colonial building in the Americas from the wrecked Santa Maria, with gold stores on the ground floor.
Entities
Artists
- Duane Linklater
- Tanya Lukin Linklater
- Candice Hopkins
- Layli Long Soldier
- Elisa Harkins
- Nathan Young
- Christopher Columbus
Institutions
- Wood Land School
- documenta
- documenta 14
- Stellwerk
- Graywolf Press
- Griffin Poetry Prize
Locations
- Athens
- Greece
- Kassel
- Germany
- Montreal
- Canada
- United States
- Americas
- Taino
- Arawak