Satellite Milan 2019 - Language and the arts

Language can be seen as a political concept, a social compass and a backbone of the cultural democracy debate.

Native vs foreign language barriers nourish the exclusion and inclusion patterns deeply rooted in the global art scene. Sign language is still far from being recognised as an autonomous language and as a cultural expression, which belongs to its territory as much as the "spoken” national languages. The "upper” vs "lower” language dichotomy is still a feature strongly inherent in the art communication, more striving day by day. Given this, can one claim that art belongs to everyone and creates spaces for an equal dialogue?

Satellite in Milan, organised by IETM in partnership with Fattoria Vittadini and in parallel of the Festival del Silenzio, will be a place to discuss the never-ending renegotiation of what are the linguistic codes of accessing, mastering and owning the arts, and most importantly - who holds the right to define and redefine those.

This event will look at the various barriers that art and culture often adopt, embody and even empower. It will explore the inclusion concept beyond accessibility, and attempt to find honest answers to the questions of power and representation in the arts and the role of language in their formation. it will process and acknowledge our natural status of inaccessible and explore access intimacy as a possible tool to overcome the barriers we face on our way.

A set of inspiring lectures and workshops will be followed by an open space for an exchange of ideas and expertise on the topic.