Millie Pilditch
“Reaching from within”

West Space's exhibition, language to reach with, curated by Tahmina Maskinyar considers language through the lens of culture, place, and identity. Featuring three artists, each bringing their own perspectives, the exhibition is extremely timely, considering the current rise and threat that Large Language Models and Artificial Intelligence pose in the 21st century. The exhibition involved three new works by Moorina Bonini, Chi Tran, and Nithya Iyer, and was accompanied by a series of public programs, which included three assembly nights and an artist symposium.

The first of the three assembly nights for language to reach with expanded on the ideas put forth in the exhibition, with an intended focus of reading. Facilitated by Cher Tan, the night involved a casual, thought-provoking conversation, touching on the role of language, and more broadly reading in the 21st century. The night was highly collaborative and welcoming, with each guest encouraged to begin the discussion by outlining their personal history and experiences with reading and literature. Guests brought and interacted with a wide range of texts, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and essays.

In paired discussions we were guided to consider a text together. In my pair we flipped through two different sections of the book I had brought to share; Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency (2020) by Olivia Laing. Landing on two random passages, we read aloud to each other, each finding our own solace and meanings in the writing. My reading partner and I immediately connected with the text, each passage resonated with us in different ways. We shared our experiences in the art world, her as an artist early in her career and studies, and me as a curating student, it felt as though the book understood each of our similarities and differences.

The assembly night allowed me to consider how books such as Funny Weather and others similar which explore the topic of art and culture have been largely responsible for my return to reading. Coinciding with studying Art History and Curating, I've found myself enraptured by the mysterious and fabled inner quality of the art world, finding comfort in the underground figures and works that feel like uncovering something secret and hidden. Laing's writing on various artists including Basquiat, Nan Goldin, David Wojnarowicz, Agnes Martin and Derek Jarman, felt like deep and considered explorations of the inner life of the artist. In engaging with Laing's writing during this assembly night, I felt the full aliveness and presence of the art scene at amazing spaces such as West Space. There may be an essence of certain places and time periods that is hard to reignite, but I truly believe that wherever art is made and discussed so passionately, the space is made special in its own right, West Space being no exception.

This assembly night, although structured similarly to the first, allowed for a more in-depth personal experience and reflection. Guests were invited to sit scattered around the space and engage independently in their own writing, while listening to and witnessing the movement involved in The language of the Woka. When some group members shared their thoughts, I found myself listening to vastly unique pieces of writing, moving between poetry to stream of consciousness to structured reflections.

The assembly nights introduced me to an experience unlike anything else I've encountered in the arts community, a group of strangers, for the most part, coming together and interacting with literature and art in a non-electronic, highly present way. We focused our attention not only on art, literature and writing as well as each other, engaging in a space that on these nights, and always, fosters personal and creative exploration.

The final event for language to reach with was the artist symposium, which took place on the 22nd of October. The event welcomed all three artists who presented in the exhibition, along with other creatives, to engage in conversation surrounding their practice, and considerations of language. The artists symposium was a beautiful and eventful day, involving facilitated conversations through artist talks and keynotes.

The event began with a Welcome to Country by Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Colin Hunter Jr, opening remarks from Tahmina, and a sound performance by Nadeem Tiafau Eshrāghi, which introduced the day perfectly. Getting to hear so much insight from the artists and creatives that West Space hosted was an extremely privileged and rewarding experience, their conversations on culture, identity, and language built upon the knowledge that was already explored so deeply in language to reach with, and its assembly nights. The event was a perfect conclusion to such an intentional and informed exhibition, and felt like a fitting conclusion to my time at West Space.

In working on this piece throughout my internship at West Space, I've continually been engaging in reflective thinking, of which the exhibition and works of language to reach with have been a beautiful backdrop to my experience. The repeating and thrumming sounds of language of the Woka, have kept me present and been a beautiful constant whenever I enter the gallery.

The openness and immense warmth I experienced at the assembly nights, and at the symposium day, is certainly a reflection of how welcomed I've felt into West Space's own community. The incredible staff, among their busy schedules of putting on this exhibition and its surrounding events, have been endlessly supportive and kind. I am grateful that I experienced my internship at West Space at the time I did, while language to reach with was presented. The exhibition and these expanded programs have been beyond what I expected, and have taught me so much valuable knowledge about the significance of public programs like these in the arts.