18 lightboxes in the shape of triangular prisms made from wood installed on the floor and activated by motion sensors. The boxes project Mi'kmaw hieroglyphic messages from the Antigonish community (where the artist lives and teaches). Referencing the shared history of the residential school system and the children now found in mass unmarked graves. Thinking about reconciliation together as a community. A Mi'kmaw dancer will perform a responsive dance work in relation to the light installation.
The L'nuk hieroglyphic written language of komqwejwi’kasikl comes from our shared connection to the land, to mother earth. This country also shares a dark legacy where children and our shared histories were buried. Communities at large are acknowledging it together as something we can no longer ignore. Emerging from a workshop during the Antigonite Art After Dark Festival - light messages were carved by the community, L’nuk and settlers combined to honour the survivors, the children missing and found in the mass unmarked graves. Together the community reflected on the shared history of the residential school system across Canada and on reconciliation as shared responsibility. By approaching each light box, exhibition visitors will light up the ceiling with community komqwejwi'kasikl messages of grief, sorrow, love and care. Each box acknowledges our shared responsibilities, our shared legacy and as a way to heal together as neighbours of this country and landscapes to which the komqwejwi'kasikl language comes from.
