Speak, Human or Not

Eli Cortiñas

Eli Cortiñas presents two instructions that convey their message through the superimposition of images and texts. The graphic elements of the text, such as its arrangement, cropping of the photographs, and the front, contribute to questioning the language. The way the images have been cut and pasted participate in mental associations that influence the understanding of the instruction, the texts clearly inviting one to try new experiences. In "Speak, Human or Not," the artist prompts reflection on our language codes and those used by other species. With very few words, she shows our tendency to understand language as a purely human capacity. Whether with another being or with an inanimate body, the instructions provoke not only communication and empathy, but also questioning anthropocentrism, the architecture of our thinking and the conventional codes of language.

  • Speak, Human or Not

    Eli Cortiñas, Speak, Human or Not, artist's instruction, 2021