Curtis Talwst Santiago: Can't I Alter

Curtis Talwst Santiago: Can't I Alter is the first exhibition devoted to the Canadian-Trinidadian artist’s drawing practice, which has expanded significantly in recent years. Throughout his work, Santiago grapples with “genetic imagination,” or the ability to access generational knowledge through imaginative recollection and projection. For the artist, this method serves as a means of wading through histories lost, hidden, and often tangled. In Can’t I Alter, Santiago creates a multi-faceted narrative in an immersive, drawing-filled installation that explores the theme of ancestry and the necessity of preserving the past while acknowledging the fallacies implicit in historical recollection. As viewers explore the space, they join Santiago and his alter ego, the J’ouvert Knight, in an attempt to locate a diasporic ancestor whose existence cannot ever be fully grasped. A newly commissioned film accompanies the installation, as well as performances organized by Santiago.

Organized by Claire Gilman, Chief Curator, with Isabella Kapur, Curatorial Assistant.

Digital Guide

Explore this exhibition further online using our new digital guide, available for free as part of the Bloomberg Connects app. By downloading the app on your mobile device, you can discover other exhibition guides, drawing activities, and educational resources.

Credits

Curtis Talwst Santiago

Past Programs

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  • Artist Curtis Talwst Santiago walks us through Can't I Alter, his site-specific, immersive installation that contemplates our interpretations of the past as well as our historical conditioning of the present. Through hand-built architectural constructions, stand-alone drawings, paintings, and sculptures, the immersive installation explores themes of ancestry and the struggle to access lost and tangled histories.

    Artist Walkthrough of ”Curtis Talwst Santiago: Can’t I Alter“

  • Artist Curtis Talwst Santiago and Chief Curator Claire Gilman host a virtual walkthrough of Santiago's exhibition Can’t I Alter, a site-specific installation that contemplates our interpretations of the past as well as our historical conditioning of the present. Through hand-built architectural constructions, stand-alone drawings, paintings, and sculptures, the immersive installation explores themes of ancestry and the struggle to access lost and tangled histories.

    This program was recorded on April 15, 2020.

    Curatorial Walkthrough of ”Curtis Talwst Santiago: Can’t I Alter“