ALT TXT
Online Exhibition
Curated by Angelica Aranda and Tereza Chanaki
Online Companion Show to Alt TXT
Featuring:
Danielle Alhassid, Becky Brown, Sair Goetz, Jasmine Gutbrod & Reilly Blum, Darci Hanna, Lu Heintz, Gabrielle Odowichuk & Kenzie Housego, Jenny B Kowalski, Ana Mendes, Sarah Peoples, Libby Prosser, Anne Riesenberg, Mariah Cameron Scee, Hanna Sheehan, Alma Star, Cayetana Suzuki, Meghan Udell
Link to alternative text for works listed below.
About the Show
The idea behind Alt TXT came from a conversation the two curators had the first day they met. Sitting next to each other at work, Chanaki shared a dream exhibition topic, and Aranda, immediately understanding the vision, said “Let’s make it happen.” Now having developed a friendship rooted in the arts, Aranda and Chanaki have pulled together a variety of mediums that represent the varying interpretations of alternative text. Alt TXT includes work that directly engages with standard idea of alternative text, as with Andy slater’s “Invisible Ink,” and work that takes the idea of alt text at face value, defecting from the westernized version of text as with Luz Ticona’s “Cruz Con Quipu.” Included in the show are a variety of pieces that challenge the relationship between speech and text, standardized text and what we remember, and the physical act of interacting with text.
This show is based on the following prompts posed by Aranda and Chanaki regarding interpretations of alternative text via an open call:
For Alt TXt, Aranda is looking for work that takes the title at face value. Our perception of text is widely based on the Western ableist canon. Historically, text has been altered for different needs, like braille and text-to-speech devices. Inca Quipu developed to document with the use of knots, rather than what we perceive as written text. What is an alternative text in the modern world to you?
Chanaki wishes to extend and complement Aranda’s approach, looking for text as an alternative.The subtext of information drives narratives and holds soft power often stronger than the content itself. How do personal biases come through when one writes out an alternative text to an image? What about when they wish to translate not just words but smells, images, sounds and cultures between alphabets that hold nothing in common? When we alter Western traditional text, what do we lose and what do we gain?
About the Curators:
Angelica Aranda is a book artist and curator based in Queen, NY. Having received her B.A. in Studio Arts and Political Science from the University of Rochester, being a Creatives Rebuild New York grant recipient, and a curator at Field Projects Gallery her interests lie in book arts. Currently working at the Berg Collection of English and American Literature while obtaining a Masters in Library and Information Science, Aranda looks to preserve, create, and uplift books as works of art.
Tereza Chanaki is an exhibition planner, curator and artist studio assistant, born and raised in Greece. Currently working in a public library, she is interested in how we exhibit information to reveal stories and inspire art, while always keeping accessibility in mind. Through additional curatorial projects and initiatives, as well as studio work with contemporary artists, Chanaki is interested in non-traditional media, such as data, zines and craft. She holds an MSc in Museums and Digital Culture from the Pratt Institute and a BA in English and History from the University of Nottingham, UK.
Alternative Text for Mariah Cameron Scee’s artwork in poster : Desperation #4 is a rectangular graphic image of a wire coat hanger made of fuse beads, also known as Hama, Perler, or melty beads. The hanger shape is of black beads, with a lavender cast shadow, and both sit on a ground of solid neon pink beads. The beads are melted into a flat, matte surface, with some circular bead shapes retained, giving the piece an overall pixel-like texture. This piece measures 6” x 7”, including the ornate frame, which is approximately .75” wide on each side and is made of wood with faux gilding.
