Joan Jonas: They Come to Us Without a Word

They Come to Us without a Word documents Joan Jonas' (born 1936) project for the US Pavilion of the 56th Venice Biennale, an installation that incorporates multiple components, including projected videos (with music by Jason Moran), drawings and photographs. Each section of the pavilion represents a particular creature (bees, fish) or natural condition. Recited fragments of ghost stories sourced from the oral tradition of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, form a continuous narrative linking one room to the next. Designed with Jonas' close collaboration, this book features an extensive collection of images selected by the artist, including stills, drawings and photographs. Also included is a major new text by Jonas herself, as well as significant texts from Ann Reynolds and Marina Warner, and an interview with the artist by Ingrid Schaffner.
"This catalogue is published in conjunction with the exhibition Joan Jonas: They Come to Us without a Word, United States Pavilion, organized by the MIT List Visual Arts Center for the 56th International Art Exhibition, Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy."