All ASL (All Day All Night)

On Christine Sun Kim's new show at the Whitney

Hey readers,

Today’s brief newsletter has a single goal — to inform you all that, if you find yourself in New York City for any reason over the next five months, you MUST go to see Christine Sun Kim’s new exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

I know I’m not alone in saying that Christine Sun Kim has long been a towering presence in the world of art and of Deaf cultural representation. I’ve loved her work for over a decade now: its humor and whimsy, its unapologetic politics, its sharp playfulness, its deep commentary on the nature of translation and sensory/linguistic power.

And now All Day All Night, Kim’s new show at the Whitney, is a massive retrospective of her 15-year career. It spans three floors at the museum, featuring many different forms of multimedia, from charcoal sketches to video installations and sound/performance art.

I had the immense pleasure of going to see this exhibition last week, as well as the opening reception, in which I saw and chatted with so many deaf and signing people from my past and present, and from so many corners of the artistic and intellectual world. (Some of whom have been subscribers to this newsletter from the start — hello, so wonderful seeing you again in New York!)

I’m hoping to do some more in-depth writing about this exhibition, but for now: GO. What a moment, seeing so many of these artworks (and people) in this museum all together. All Day All Night is now open through July.

(And also open in New York for the next month: a video installation on the sixth level of the Guggenheim, “Ekphrasis in Air,” which features original poems in ASL and BSL, thanks to current poet-in-residence Meg Day. This museum also put on a night of ASL poetry in December, which by all accounts was an incredible event. Kudos to all involved!)

During such strange and tumultuous political times, when so many people I know are legitimately afraid for what may happen next with access and so many other rights (a sentiment I also share), I keep asking myself about the role of artistic installations and gatherings like these. For now, suffice it to say: soaking in the spirit of ASL and Deaf culture, through celebrating one of our own, was exactly what I needed to fill my cup this month.

Go fill your own cups, too, and let’s all keep on going.