Accent Studio
Participatory installation, KODA House, Governors Island, New York, 2025
Paper, calligraphy brushes, ink, blue marker, tape, tables
Dimensions variable
Accent Studio is a participatory installation where visitors translate and respond to words placed throughout the room, writing directly on sheets of paper that gradually fill the walls with multiple languages and scripts. The installation began with simple words related to nature, such as cloud, earth, animal, peace, and sky, written in four languages close to me: Spanish, English, Chinese characters, and Kichwa (an Ecuadorian Quechua language that I am learning). These words reflect my own diasporic background and serve as an invitation for visitors to engage with the space.
Participants are encouraged to begin with these prompts and then add their own translations or introduce new words in their own languages and writing systems. Using Chinese calligraphy techniques and blue markers, visitors contribute their handwriting to a growing field of language across the walls. The blue ink references the visual language of blue-and-white porcelain, a recurring motif in my work that reflects global histories of migration, exchange, and cultural circulation. As contributions accumulate, the wall grows into a multilingual archive of voices, celebrating the many languages that shape New York’s linguistic landscape.
Photos: Argenis Apolinario
