Nicholas Galanin's "Seletega" at Faena Beach in Miami Beach is a site-specific art installation that recalls the Spanish galleons of the 16th century, symbolizing the irreversible impact of European colonialism on Indigenous lands. Rising over forty feet, the work features masts and sails partially buried in sand, reminiscent of Cortés's strategy in 1519 of burning ships to commit his troops to conquest without retreat. The artwork, named after a phrase meaning "run, see if people are coming" in Lingít and Spanish, directly links this historical moment to themes of commitment and irreversible action. Galanin uses his art to critique colonial legacies and advocate for Indigenous rights.
Nicholas Galanin: Seletega (run, see if people are coming/corre a ver si viene gente) / Faena Beach, Miami Beach. December 7, 2024.
Exhibition text (excerpt):
Partially buried on the sands of Faena Beach, Tlingit/Unangax artist Nicholas Galanin presented a monumental site-specific installation, Seletega (run, see if people are coming/corre a ver si viene gente), in the form of a Spanish galleon’s masts, sails, and rigging emerging from under the sand. The work by Galanin rise over forty feet in height, tying the occupation of Indigenous Land to the initial invasion of the “Americas” to extract wealth for European aristocracy. In 1519, Cortés led a Spanish expedition to Mexico and ordered his ships to be scuttled. This was done to motivate his crew, who were exhausted after the long journey and to prevent them from retreating or joining forces with an enemy. Cortés's actions sent a clear message to his men: there was no turning back. The Spanish expression quemar las naves (burn the ships) means to eliminate the possibility of retreating before a problem.
The masts and sails of the galleon in this work evoke a decisive moment, symbolizing a point of no return, where past actions force a commitment to a new, uncertain future. This act, like burning one’s ships, speaks to the irreversible choice to move forward without the option of retreating, of charting a new course and never going back and the act of giving oneself to a cause or belief.
Spray painted on the sails in Spanish and English (the first languages to colonize the Americas): “What are we going to give up to burn the sails of empire? Qué vamos a renunciar para quemar las velas y los aparejos del imperio? What are we going to build for our collective liberation? Qué vamos a construir para nuestra liberación colectiva?” These questions, marked on the sails, speak to past and present, asking visitors to consider their roles and responsibilities in shaping the future. Just as the ships were burned to make retreat impossible, the work asks us to reflect on what we must let go of to move towards collective liberation.
Galanin’s work engages deeply with social issues, particularly those impacting Indigenous communities, inviting dialogues between Indigenous and non-Indigenous experience.
Nicholas Galanin: Seletega (run, see if people are coming/corre a ver si viene gente) / Faena Beach, Miami Beach. December 7, 2024.
Exhibition text (excerpt):
Partially buried on the sands of Faena Beach, Tlingit/Unangax artist Nicholas Galanin presented a monumental site-specific installation, Seletega (run, see if people are coming/corre a ver si viene gente), in the form of a Spanish galleon’s masts, sails, and rigging emerging from under the sand. The work by Galanin rise over forty feet in height, tying the occupation of Indigenous Land to the initial invasion of the “Americas” to extract wealth for European aristocracy. In 1519, Cortés led a Spanish expedition to Mexico and ordered his ships to be scuttled. This was done to motivate his crew, who were exhausted after the long journey and to prevent them from retreating or joining forces with an enemy. Cortés's actions sent a clear message to his men: there was no turning back. The Spanish expression quemar las naves (burn the ships) means to eliminate the possibility of retreating before a problem.
The masts and sails of the galleon in this work evoke a decisive moment, symbolizing a point of no return, where past actions force a commitment to a new, uncertain future. This act, like burning one’s ships, speaks to the irreversible choice to move forward without the option of retreating, of charting a new course and never going back and the act of giving oneself to a cause or belief.
Spray painted on the sails in Spanish and English (the first languages to colonize the Americas): “What are we going to give up to burn the sails of empire? Qué vamos a renunciar para quemar las velas y los aparejos del imperio? What are we going to build for our collective liberation? Qué vamos a construir para nuestra liberación colectiva?” These questions, marked on the sails, speak to past and present, asking visitors to consider their roles and responsibilities in shaping the future. Just as the ships were burned to make retreat impossible, the work asks us to reflect on what we must let go of to move towards collective liberation.
Galanin’s work engages deeply with social issues, particularly those impacting Indigenous communities, inviting dialogues between Indigenous and non-Indigenous experience.
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