Joi T. Arcand’s new media installation pimiciwan pimatisowin 2020 marks the first time a Cree contemporary artist has had their work enter the NGV Collection. Arcand's placement of her piece, a blue neon sign set back into a wall cavity, subtly declares that the language wasn’t ‘lost’, but was instead taken, and Cree people are now here to reclaim it.

For visual artist Joi Arcand, the written Cree language is not only imbued with cultural significance - it's an aesthetically beautiful form all unto itself. Some of her past work depicts a world where English and French signage is replaced with the Cree language. Insurgence/Resurgence is on display at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Joi T. Arcand’s Cree syllabic neon sign, ᐁᑳᐃᔹ ᓀᐯᐃᓸ (ēkāwiya nēpēwisi, which translates to “don’t be shy”), starts the temporal occupation, visually and conceptually commanding attention, overcoming the intense architectural elements of the space.