People from different nationalities

Brian Dailey’s “Words” at The Katzen

Brian Dailey’s multi-screen video installation WORDS is the artist’s investigation into the relationship between language, culture, national identity, and the challenges we face in our efforts to communicate key concepts across linguistic boundaries and national borders in the age of globalization. His virtual “Tower of Babel” is a contemporary turn on the Biblical story explaining the worldwide diversity of languages, a tale with parallels in ancient Sumerian and Assyrian myths. WORDS is the artist’s creative summation of his global experiences, compelling viewers to come to terms with the unstable relationship between language and concept, between interpretation and meaning. In this monumental project, Brian traveled to 122 nations throughout our world to document the expressions of our human family in their words, their own critiques, and their own aspirations as members of that human family. This is a conceptual and logistical tour-de-force from an artist whose guidance is worth our attention.