The sculpture's title, Seletega, using the language of the Calusa people, is "a call to awareness and action" regarding colonialism and Indigenous sovereignty.
Galanin's installation serves as a metaphor for the fragility of empire, illustrating the ongoing environmental destruction and the erasure of Indigenous narratives by colonial powers.
The wrecked form of the galleon symbolizes conquest gone awry, referencing Hernán Cortés' 1519 expedition that led to the historical erasure of Indigenous cultures.
The partially buried state of the sculpture represents the destruction and silencing of the Calusa and Tequesta languages, emphasizing the impacts of colonialism.
#colonial-legacy #indigenous-art #environmental-destruction #cultural-erasure #site-specific-installation
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