Untitled (from the series Linguistic Families â€?Recaptured Languages) 2022

Curator: This piece, by Daiara Tukano, is part of the series "Linguistic Families – Recaptured Languages," and it features a striking image of a palm tree rendered in ink. Editor: The stark black silhouette against the white is what immediately grabs me. It feels almost like a woodblock print, yet there is a delicacy to the leaves. Curator: Tukano uses the image of the palm to explore themes of language and cultural preservation, intertwining the natural world with linguistic diversity. Notice the handwritten text surrounding the tree? Editor: Yes, it seems to name the tree in different Indigenous languages. It’s a powerful statement about the connection between language, land, and identity, especially considering the threats faced by both. The tree becomes a symbol of resilience. Curator: Exactly. It encourages us to consider how languages encode knowledge and cultural memory. A simple image opens a complex dialogue. Editor: A reminder that what appears simple often holds layers of meaning worth uncovering.