The World in a Shell: request for assistance


Date Submitted:	20-Jan-2010
From:	Mark Swindle
Subject:	The World in a Shell: request for assistance
Contact Email:	click here to access email


Notice:	'The World in a Shell' (http://www.worldinashell.net/), is an art-science concept piece - embodied in the form of a modified shipping container - that will travel, over the coming 5 years, to 11 locations (http://www.worldinashell.net/map/wiasmap.html) - with each location - e.g. Ghanzi, Botswana - selected on the basis of both its status as a Unesco World Heritage site; and because of the presence of 'first peoples' there - e.g. the Khoe San, in Botswana. At each location it will serve as a sort of art/research/cultural laboratory; as a demonstration of a sustainable, non-disruptive-to-lifestyle technology; and as a collector and transmitter of data. The project kicks off with an exhibition in Rotterdam at the NAi in March, with all the exhibit's catalog content due by the end of January. In the catalog there will be a section to present the people and locations which will be visited. To make it a more personal story we would like to publish the following hand written sentence in (one of) the original language/dialect of the first peoples - either by one of the first peoples, or someone with the capability of writing in the Native tongue. What is the meaning of freedom? This handwritten sentence would then need to either be scanned or digitally photographed at high resolution, then returned to us. Following is the status of each of the locations/peoples/languages we still need samples from. If you can assist, please help out - and return the sample by the end of January! Location - People - Language Mörön, Mongolia - Mongols - Mongolian Puyo, Ecuador - Shuar - Shuar Quésso, Congo- Pygmy - Bantu language related to Komo Ghanzi, Botswana - Khoe-San - Khoi Kuk Swamp, Papau, N.G. - Papauns - Melpa, Enga, Western Dani, Ekari? Balalae/Shortland - Solomon Islands - Malinesier ? Oualâta (Walatah), Mauritania - Moors - Hassaniya or the Soninke language of Azer? Queensland, Australia - Murri Aborginals - Bundjalung ? Jaipur, Rajasthan, India (Thar desert) - Rajasthani - Rajasthan?