Signal Fire and the Center for Contemporary Art & Culture at PNCA present Unwalking the West, a group exhibition highlighting the work of Signal Fire alumni who took part in our 2016 programs of the same name. Unwalking the West was conceived around the symbolic act of retracing segments of European settler exploration and conquest in the reverse direction, as a way of interrogating assumed histories and connecting the legacy of Settler-colonialism to the present day challenges in the American West.

Artists:
Tanja Geis
Joe Hedges
Garrick Imatani
Emmy Lingscheit
Rachelle Reichert
Rick Silva
Ilvs Strauss
Sarah Farahat

“These artists are examining contested terrains, both cultural, and literal while navigating contemporary landscapes impacted by centuries of settler-colonialism and Western expansionism. During this time of dire importance to shift the narrative and bring awareness to ecological sustainability and human impact on the environment these artists respond with subtlety, measured marks, wit, performance, and devoted research.” Describes co-curator and Signal Fire co-director Ka’ila Farrell-Smith. Founder, co-curator, and co-director Ryan Pierce explains that “Unwalking the Westexamines Signal Fire alumni studio exploration, following-up, two years after their journeys into public and wild lands through our back-country residency programs.”

Image: By Garrick Imatani, “Historians At Site” a reproduction of the Tomanowos (Willamette Meteorite) project.