Now Magazine: What to see at virtual Nuit Blanche - Joi T. Arcand
Joi T. Arcand – Never Surrender featured in virtual Nuit Blanche
Arcand’s most recognizable works are her neon signs of declarative statements in Plains Cree syllabics. The photo-based artist and industrial sculptor translates signage into her mother tongue, a language she was robbed of and disconnected from through forced assimilation.
Never Surrender is her latest work in this vein, translating lyrics from Corey Hart’s 1980s pop song.
She undeniably asserts the presence of Indigenous language on urban landscapes with hot pink syllabics. Through this process, Hart’s lyrics become an anthem of Indigenous sovereignty.