Alfons Hug Curates Latin American Pavilion Sound Installation at 2015 Venice Biennale

In the Arsenale at the 2015 Venice Biennale, Alfons Hug curated the Latin American pavilion, showcasing a sound installation that featured 17 indigenous languages to underscore their diversity and the threat of extinction. Approximately 28 million individuals belong to Latin America's indigenous communities, which speak around 600 Amerindian languages, with one-third at risk of disappearing. Languages such as Arara from Brazil and Chorote from Argentina are rare, while Quechua and Guarani boast millions of speakers. Notably, the Yamana language in Tierra del Fuego has only one remaining speaker, Cristina Calderón, born in 1938. The installation created a minimalist environment filled with a polyphonic hum, intentionally omitting visual components. Hug highlighted the pavilion's role in representing an entire continent and enhancing the visibility of Latin American artists. ArtReview published the questionnaire online on 1 May 2015.