Mother Tongue Brief

Language is not only a product of human life – it is a pre-requisite that humans require to form relationships. As a fundamental form of expression, language binds us together.

But not all languages are spoken. A language can be visual – made up of complex ideas of truth deeply rooted in symbols, custom and imagery. Mother Tongue is about the power of language – verbal and visual, formal and informal. First language. Native language. It honours languages at risk of being lost in our globalising society and those that have survived the forces of colonisation.

Mother Tongue is a healing process – stimulating creative dialogue between indigenous and non-indigenous designers, students of design, poets and writers. Mother Tongue celebrates that underlying our languages, we are the same after all.

Mother Tongue also offers a forum for non-indigenous designers to respond to the position that indigenous language iconography, process and design knowledge can and should play an integral role in contemporary design.

Mother Tongue is a cross-cultural platform to open discussion around the role of contemporary indigenous design. It encourages collaborative projects that deepen our understanding of people’s culture in our visual world of this 21 century.

Claude Levi-Strauss said that no one culture is more advanced than another, each is unique and there is much to learn from everyone.

“We need a culture shift. Can design reconcile differences? Does it hold this power? If design has the power to market products and services that make consumers consume, then I am sure it can.

“Let’s begin a journey of understanding – fostering a new respect for life, nature and the natural world. Let’s value the principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity and kinship.”

- David Lancashire, Melbourne (Australia)

Call for submissions
Mother Tongue is an open, multi-disciplinary, online exhibition. You may submit multiple entries, but each submission must be a single piece. The form of response is yours to determine – a poster, a photograph, a poem, a product, a piece of architecture – that interprets the spirit of Mother Tongue.

Who can enter
Mother Tongue is an open to all. To participate you must create a user account or log in if you are already part of the network.

Key dates
Submissions will be accepted starting 12 July 2010
The deadline for entries is 1 December 2010

Fee
There is no fee to participate.

Exhibition
Submissions will be presented as a digital gallery on INDIGO website.

Copyright
As the creator of your submission, you retain all intellectual property rights associated with your entry, except those as outlined below.

By submitting your entry, you acknowledge that your piece is original work and does not infringe on the work of any other individual or group. If your entry uses other’s work, you acknowledge that you have obtained permission to use these components.

By submitting your entry, you grant INDIGO and Icograda royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide rights to reproduce and distribute your submission for the purposes of promoting Mother Tongue and INDIGO.

How to submit
Submissions open on 12 July 2010. Share the project brief with your networks, students, colleagues and peers.

For complete details on submitting your entry and file specifications, download the Call for Submissions (PDF – 484KB).

For more information, please contact:

Indigo Secretariat
c/o Icograda
455 Saint Antoine Ouest, SS10
Montreal, Quebec
H2Z 1J1 Canada
T: +1 514 448 4949 x 230
F: +1 514 448 4948
E: info@indigodesignnetwork.org