Scott Benesiinaabandan wants you to feel the sound of the Anishinaabe language

Would you recognize Anishinaabe if you overheard it being spoken on the bus?

Image | Scott Benesiinaabandan

Caption: Scott Benesiinaabandan is the sound artist behind the Animikiikaa 10/97 piece. (CBC Arts)

We would recognize French, Spanish or Chinese if you overheard it being spoken in public — but what about any of Canada's Indigenous languages?
Scott Benesiinaabandan's piece at the Winnipeg Art Gallery's Insurgence/Resurgence(external link) exhibit is calling attention to that lack of recognition. His piece for the show, Animikiikaa 10/97, is a sound installation that plays a recording of a woman speaking two poems in the Anishinaabe language along with one piece of low frequency sound art. See it in action in the video below.

Watch the video:

Media Video | Exhibitionists : Experience Scott Benesiinaabandan's sound installation

Caption: Hear poetry in the Anishinaabe language in this new installation at Insurgence/Resurgence

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Animikiikaa 10/97 has its own room in the Winnipeg Art Gallery — a small, dark, triangular space that immerses you completely in the sound piece. With its low-frequency vibrations and evocative narration, Benesiinaabandan's piece is an experience that should be felt more than merely listened to.
In this video, Benesiinaabandan explains why he wanted to work with the Anishinaabe language, the fascination one woman's voice held for him and the politics of why he did not want to provide translations.

Image | Animikiikaa 10/97

Caption: Scott Benesiinaabandan's piece Animikiikaa 10/97 has a specially crafted room at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. (CBC Arts)

Insurgence/Resurgence is on display at the Winnipeg Art Gallery until April 22, 2018.
This video is a part of a series profiling artists from the Insurgence/Resurgence (external link)exhibit in collaboration with CBC Arts and CBC Indigenous(external link). Check out the other videos here(external link).
Watch CBC Arts: Exhibitionists(external link) online or on CBC Television. Tune in Friday nights at 11:30pm (12am NT) and Sundays at 3:30pm (4pm NT).