Here, we ask an artist to frame the essential details behind one of their latest works.
Bio: Suzanne Kite, 34, Catskill, NY
Instagram: @kitekitekitekitekite
Title of work: Wičháȟpi Wóihaŋbleya (Dreamlike Star), 2024
Where to see it: “List Projects 31: Kite,” MIT List Visual Arts Center through May 18
Three words to describe this work: Cosmic, Recursive, Dreamlike
What was on your mind at the time: I was thinking deeply about the interconnectedness of stars, stones, and dreams. I wanted to explore how Lakȟóta visual and geometric languages can embody not only personal dreams but also collective relationships with the cosmos and non-human intelligences.
An interesting feature that’s not immediately noticeable: The mirrored structure of the performance reflects the Lakȟóta principle of reciprocity: the beginning and ending mirror each other, echoing the symmetry seen in both the cosmos and earth. This chiastic structure is also embedded in the installation’s audio, where my poetry is read forward and then in reverse.
How the work reflects your practice as a whole: This work integrates all aspects of my practice: dreaming as knowledge-making, the use of Lakȟóta visual language, performance, and technology. It’s an inquiry into how Indigenous knowledge systems can guide ethical relationships with AI and other non-human intelligences.
One song that captures the work’s essence: Since it is sound art, the piece is the “song” but the only song I listen to most days is “Dream” by Al Green.
