First Hand Off
[Working Title] Global Creative Chain
Okay so…
It was the 18th of June, 2025 in London. It was proper boiling outside - sweat, tears, the case and my hand fan (aka an envelope from my council tax bill) were heading to the Wellcome Collection to meet Katie. We were meant to see the “1880 THAT” exhibition and met in the cafe to cool off before heading up to the exhibition.
We had our yap then went upstairs to the exhibition by Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader, “1880 THAT”, which showcases large scale installations, video and drawing to emphasize individual agency, sign language, and communication for d/Deaf individuals.
The exhibition touches on the ongoing political complexities of representation for the d/Deaf community and the Milan Conference, which occurred in 1880. The conference focused on the education of d/Deaf individuals and ultimately advocated for oralism; a system of teaching through the use of speech and lip-reading rather than sign language. Subsequently, banning sign language in the education system for primarily d/Deaf individuals. Which is extremely complex as the consequences include (but not limited to) revoking the right to build community, forcing a group to conform to social “norms” to make the hearing population feel comfortable and multi-faceted loss. Sound familiar?
Oh! Need I remind you that out of the 164 delegates at the Milan Conference, only three were d/Deaf.
My family has a history of hearing loss. In 2022, I started wearing hearing aids and have my hearing checked every six months as it seems to be rapidly declining. To be clear, I am not d/Deaf, nor do I sign BSL (trying to learn at the minute).
It's really exciting to see work about disability, by us - for us. I am looking forward to seeing how disabled artists evolve the conversation and work as this exhibition felt (figuratively and literally) on the nose, limiting space for imaginative evaluation or deeper critical engagement. While I value the strong educational focus, I believe art should also create room for individual interpretation and the integration of personal narratives. Less is more.
After more yapping, drinking pineapple lemonade and selecting books to come home with us (The New Age of Sexism for Katie, Beneath the Skin and Sound for me) - we went our separate ways and Katie was to spend the next two weeks developing her archive, tuning into how she experiences the present moment and playing.
Katie and The Case
We planned to meet on 4th July, 2025 when her time was complete and discuss her reflections.
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