Discussions of narratives in art, technology, and digital interaction have been used and repurposed in a number of performances, art pieces, and interactive exhibits. These narratives pertain to themes of nature, culture and identity and thus facilitate the existence of different accounts or perspectives. Interested in exploring the creation of these narratives through interactive art, The Bigger Picture aspires to delve into the different narratives in themes including religious art, nature/environmental art, activism, and ideas pertaining to bodies. The exhibition analyzes an emerging pattern of difference in the Western vs. decolonized perspective. With many works from the west gaining attention and spotlight, it is important to look beyond the accessible in order to discover the beauty of the decolonial narrative that is often overlooked.
Aimed at drawing more attention to the perspectives less prevalent in today’s discussions, the artworks in this exhibition are presented to expose the duality.The duality of the work presents how art is an extension of society and hence, is highly influenced and affected by the context it is produced in. Similar concepts explored in different regions and societies present a visualization of these topics’ manifestation in cultures.
The duality explored in the exhibition informs on conversations that extend to the physical world and society. It is thus highly influenced and affected by the context it is produced in. Looking at similar concepts in different regions and societies will present a stark contrast in how these backgrounds impact and inevitably create this spectrum of perspectives on the same origin ideas. Artworks from the West tend to lend themselves to a more eurocentric interpretation of narratives whether belonging to them or otherwise. Pieces like ‘Face Cages’ created by Zach Blas an American artist, filmmaker and writer, reveals the Western side of the spectrum that views the idea masks as torture and limiting freedom of bodies. Whereas other pieces like ‘and yet my mask is powerful’ by Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, that shows themes of resistance that can manifest in material objects such as masks, helping audience members understand the weight of these narratives, specifically in regards to topics such as the Palestinain Occupation. The difference is evident in this example any many other paired pieces in this exhibition experience.
The exhibition, by nature, widens the scope of exposure to interactive art pieces/performances seeing as much of the tools to learn and appreciate art revolve around eurocentric ideals. These ideals are not put on a pedestal in this project, but rather positioned within a range of artworks of perspectives and narratives, giving the viewer a chance to learn about many pieces of art without constantly idealizing or focusing on the Western angle. The discrepancy in range of artworks in the greater art community may also be rooted in the cultural barriers that some regions or groups may face as opposed to others. Such communities may be more politically expressive in their artworks and discuss niche topics in ways that express their narrative or perspective best. The Western perspective being so glorified, can thus also be damaging in not allowing enough space for these more specific topics of discourse to come to light in a larger group of diverse perspectives.
