Afternoons at the Institute: Intersections of Indigenous Languages and Art

In collaboration with the Indigenous Futures Research Centre (IFRC), the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art recently invited artist and IFRC member Milo Puge to create a conceptual display of images within the Institute’s space. Completed over the summer, Milo’s arrangement features modern and contemporary Indigenous artworks that showcase the many ways that language and art can interplay. Contextualizing this interaction across multiple public and private spaces highlights the importance of Indigenous languages within the everyday as a form of resistance.

Please join us for the unveiling of Milo’s work and a discussion between the artist and Hanss Lujan Torres, Research Coordinator at the IFRC. A question period will follow.

Milo Puge (he/him) is a Michif from BC whose family has roots in St-Laurent, Manitoba. Currently, he is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Anthropology at Concordia. He is particularly interested in Indigenous languages, futurisms, and incorporating his art practice into his academic work.

Hanss Lujan Torres (MA 2023) is a curator, writer, and arts facilitator from Cusco, Peru. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Minor in Art History and Visual Culture from the University of British Columbia Okanagan and a Master of Arts in Art History from Concordia University. His research and curatorial practice consider subjugated archives, queer temporalities, and alternative futures in contemporary art.

The Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art presents a series of conversations entitled Afternoons at the Institute, now in its tenth season. Bringing established and emerging scholars together, the series focuses on pressing questions and current issues in the research and writing of art histories. The series has been made possible by a generous donation from the Jarislowsky Foundation.