Announcement of Theme 19 – True from False
Fake native artifacts made by an English artisan in the 1950s. This is what Kaska Dena artist Joseph Tisiga chose to place at the center of his exhibition Somebody Nobody Was..., on view until May 23, 2021 at the Musée d'art de Joliette.
The visitors encounter objects that seem to have been created by First Nations artisans. Only those familiar with Indigenous cultures, and those with a sharp eye for detail, will understand that these objects were made in fact by a European craftsman.
This exhibition thus raises the question of the veracity of these objects. Of course, these objects are not what they claim to be; they are falsely Indigenous. Moreover, we are faced with an act of cultural appropriation.
At the time Oliver Jackson made these objects, the Indian Act prohibited traditional ceremonies, resulting in the confiscation of Indigenous works and a decrease in their production. Later, when First Nations were able to resume their ceremonies, their artifacts and part of the traditional knowledge had disappeared. To help them reclaim their art and practices, they took inspiration from Jackson's fakes.
Joseph Tisiga, view of the exhibition Somebody Nobody Was... at Musée d'art de joliette, 2020.
Photo: Paul Litherland.
👉 For the month of December, we invite you to respond creatively to the theme True from False. Appearances can be deceiving. Can art help us to look beyond? To explore the grey zones of an idea or an object? Is truth in what we see or what we feel? Is it an illusion? What if truth was something constructed, something we project on an object or a situation?
Joseph Tisiga, view of the exhibition Somebody Nobody Was... at Musée d'art de joliette, 2020.
Photo: Paul Litherland.
Joseph Tisiga, view of the exhibition Somebody Nobody Was... at Musée d'art de joliette, 2020.
Photo: Paul Litherland.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE?
Follow the indications to participate and get your art on this platform. The next deadline is Thursday, December 31 at noon. The exhibition will be online on Thursday, January 7, 2021.
CLICK HERE TO KNOW HOW TO PARTICIPATE