Text in the catalog of the Cultural Secretary IILA
IDENTITY AND LANGUAGE
Sylvia Irrazábal
IILA Cultural Secretary
Commissioner for the IILA-Latin American Pavilion
“A seed falls
to the ground and
germinates, something
that has happened
for millennia.
The people of America
have repeated
the mystery of the maize
once and a thousand times.”
OSWALDO GUAYASAMÍN
Languages with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and cultural and artistic development are of strategic importance for our planet and its peoples, a heritage of the highest value for mankind’s various forms of cultural expression – and the central focus for an intriguing microcosm of Latin American native languages and their sounds brought to the 56th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia by IILA, the Italo-Latin American Institute.
As globalisation continues apace, there is an increasing threat against the multiplicity of autochthonous languages used by local communities and ethnic groups; precious forms of linguistic expression are faced by extinction. And when languages go extinct, cultural diversity, mankind’s real wealth, suffers. As languages vanish, there is a risk of losing perspectives, traditions, collective memories, unique forms of expression, all precious and indispensable resources in guaranteeing a better future for all.
This is the context for the experiences in Latin America of the German explorer, naturalist and geographer, Alexander von Humboldt, the inspiration for this year’s IILA- Latin American Pavilion: a great artistic and cultural exploration of the deepest and most secret side of Latin America.
Born to an aristocratic family in Berlin in 1769, von Humboldt was fascinated by a mystery whose roots were sunk deep in Latin America’s tropical forest. According to the native peoples, the jungle hid a river navigable for many kilometres in every direction, linking the Orinoco to the Rio Negro.
Von Humboldt was on the banks of the Orinoco when he wrote down the repertoire of the famous parrot, which recited sounds and phonetics from a recently extinct ethnic group, the Atures, providing the last remaining direct historical and anthropological memory of that tribe.
This is the mysterious and fascinating journey towards a re-appropriation of Latin America’s original cultural heritage proposed through the sound installation at the 56th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia. In a range of sacred and profane forms of artistic expression, the visitor will find some among the many autochthonous languages of Latin American local communities and groups, presented according to aesthetic and historical priorities, also in view of safeguarding their cultures.
We want to thank Alfons Hug, the director of the Goethe-Institut in Rio de Janeiro and a leading expert in Latin American art, who, with Deputy Curator Alberto Saraiva, curated the exhibition in masterly fashion. To him goes our deep gratitude and esteem for the ties of strong and deep friendship and cooperation he has built up with IILA.
Our thanks also go to the artists who have made “Indigenous Voices” possible and the embassies of IILA’s Latin American members for their forceful contribution to this great event.