Joanna Tam: Oh Say Can You Act: On View March 14 through March 28, 2014

On Friday, March 14, Counterpath opened Joanna Tam’s solo exhibit Oh Say Can You Act. Oh Say Can You Act explores the intersection of nationalism, cultural vernaculars and social rituals. The work in this exhibition looks at how patriotism is being institutionalized and choreographed in our everyday lives. By studying and re-performing the body languages of professional athletes and audience during the rendition of the National Anthem at the beginning of a sports event, the artist examines the common practice of putting “the right hand over the heart” as a manifestation and declaration of loyalty to a country. The exhibit will be on display through March 28.

The exhibition was made possible in part through the support from the Center for Photography at Woodstock.

Joanna Tam is a Boston-based visual artist originally from Hong Kong. Her interdisciplinary practice examines the issues of standardization, displacement and the construction of ethnic and national identities. Joanna’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally including venues in York, UK; Istanbul, Turkey; Cusco, Peru; New York; Brooklyn; Boston among others. Her work has been awarded the Best Art Film at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival in York, UK (2012), the People’s Choice Award (Sub-Category) and the Third Prize at the Prix de la Photographie, Paris (2009). Joanna was the resident artist at the Center for Photography at Woodstock and The Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts.