Beyond the Words of Earth
This publication for "Beyond the Words of Earth" is a risograph-printed zine featuring Rajni Perera's work and writing by Jova Lynne and Negarra. The zine explores themes of immigration, colonization, and ecological collapse through Perera's "Traveller" series and the concept of off-worlding. It serves as a companion to the exhibition.
"Beyond the Words of Earth" is the Philadelphia debut of Toronto-based artist Rajni Perera. The exhibition features Perera's "Traveller" series, presenting an evolutionary timescale thousands of years into the future, where borders, imperialism, and ecological collapse have given rise to the humanoid species of Travellers. The exhibition is an immersive experience that includes portraits, sculptures, and objects that simulate a natural history museum, highlighting the phenomena of off-worlding, a concept derived from the artist's research on colonization and immigration.
The exhibition also features a new sculptural piece, "A Starry-eyed Subspecies," which portrays a life-size Traveller and Post-Horse traversing a poisoned landscape left behind by corporate nations. The exhibition demonstrates how mutation, adaptation, and reimagining technology impact the future while untangling metaphors of space-travel within immigrant life. Perera's work illuminates how art can inspire imagination and community care. The exhibition was on view at Temple Contemporary of the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University in Philadelphia, until March 3, 2023.
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