1880 THAT: Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader

Interesting exhibition at the Wellcome Collection using contemporary art to discuss the suppression of British Sign Language.

OK I know it sounds odd but it worked. Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader explained how The Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf,  held in Milan in 1880, declared that oral education should replace sign language in deaf schools effectively suppressing sign language. They used witty installations to explore the effect on deaf identity.

My favourite piece was this arm, one of a pair which inflated and deflated. This one pointed towards Milan.

Closed 6 April 2026


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