The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art presents Whuulhu: to fuse together, a multimedia exhibition striking unique balances from a chaos of icons, images and media. Through a fusion of contemporary and traditional mediums, Bracken Corlett explores his ancestral language of Wuikila, and colonial consequence.
The featured work is a remix. It is a readaptation and rediscovery of culture, spirit and language that covers generations. Threatened by colonialism, there are only a handful of Wuikila speakers around today. Wuulhu – Wuikila word meaning “to fuse together” – is interpreted and used as a driving force for the artwork included in the show; it unites the theme and feeds the included paintings, drawings, sculptures, digital media, and sound. With a backdrop of Corlett’s experiences and research, Whuulufuses traditional symbols with contemporary ideas of culture.
Bracken H’anuse Corlett is a Northwest Coast based multimedia artist and a member of the Wuikinuxv, Heiltsuk, and Klahoose peoples. His work deals with themes of cultural reclamation and survival, identity politics, hybridity, and decolonization. Much of his work is relevant to his Northwest Coast Indigenous roots and explores the stories, language, songs and art of his people. He is also inspired by art movements of agit-pop, manga and dada.
The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art welcomes you to visit our space between June 7 and July 20 to view the exhibition. Please join us for an opening reception on Friday, June 7 at 7 p.m. and an artist talk on Saturday June 8, at 3 p.m. Both events will take place at The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art and are free to the public.
The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is an artist-run centre located in Kelowna at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, 421 Cawston Ave. The Alternator is a registered non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the development of the creative community. Since 1989, the Alternator has shown the work of emerging Canadian artists, focused on innovative and non-traditional mediums engaged in social and cultural issues.