Word of the Year
Ongoing
Project Space at Hunter East Harlem Gallery
Conceived by Arden Sherman
Word of the Year is an exhibition project hosted by Hunter East Harlem Gallery, inviting emerging curators to activate the wall at Hunter College's Silberman School of Social Work using Merriam Webster Dictionary and Oxford English Dictionary's "word of the year" from the previous year.
By using a word culled from mass media as a prompt, the exhibition space acts as a site for artists and curators to engage in a dialogue about collective consciousness and understanding how semantics can play a crucial role in shaping public opinion.
Word of the Year 2018: TOXIC & JUSTICE
Definition of Justice: the maintenance or administration of what is just, impartial, or fair.
Definition of Toxic: 1. Poisonous, relating to or caused by poison. 2. Very bad, unpleasant, or harmful.
Curators:
Arden Sherman
Simon Benjamin
Nathan Rayman
Word of the Year 2017: YOUTHQUAKE
Definition of Youthquake: a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.
Curators:
Irini Zervas and Lauren Fowler
Clara Chapin
Olivia Gauthier
Nora Maité Nieves
Natalia Viera Salgado
Word of the Year 2016: POST-TRUTH
Definition of Post-Truth: an adjective defined as relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.
Curators:
Kristen Racaniello
Nora Boyd
Image: Installation view of WOTY 2.3 “Ojalá” curated by Olivia Gauthier with artists Maria de Los Angeles and Mauricio Cortes Ortega.