Whitney Biennial 2017

Floor 6

Born 1984 in Bellingham, WA
Lives in Milwaukee, WI

Sky Hopinka builds narrative by layering sounds and images, words and perspectives, to form a complex tapestry in which the personal, communal, natural, and historical are intertwined. In his experimental documentary films, language represents both a means to knowledge and a frustrating hindrance to understanding. In Visions of an Island, 2016, Hopinka presents a portrait of St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea, home to the largest Aleut population in the world and large colonies of seals and seabirds. In one scene, silhouetted figures speak haltingly in the language of their ancestors. Their struggle to communicate reminds us that cultural heritage is defined neither by land nor by parentage.

Screenings: March 25–26