Things That I Know, Things That You Know reflects my mother and I learning Dutch together, navigating the gaps in our shared heritage and language. My mother grew up in an immigrant household, having being spoken to in Dutch and responding back in English. Now, as we learn Dutch together—my mother relearning and me learning for the first time—our different learning styles and locations lead to independent study, mainly through letters. This process brings us closer, as we exchange stories, songs, and memories, and uncover untranslatable aspects of the Dutch language. Through this, we also reconnect with parts of our shared family history. Things That I Know, Things That You Know captures the journey of language and learning, visualized through documentation, and the evolving relationship between mother and daughter as we learn from and with each other.
This exhibition was shown at the Image Centre, 2022.
