Joan Jonas They Come to Us Without a WordUnited States Pavilion 56th International Art Exhibition, Venice

"'Joan Jonas: They Come to Us without a Word' documents Jonas's project for the United States Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale, an expansive installation that incrporates multiple components, included projected videos, drawings, and objects. Each section of the pavilion represents a particular creature (bees, fish), object (mirror), force (wind), or place (homeroom). 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. As Jonas says, 'We are haunted, the rooms are haunted.' Designed with Jonas's close collaboration, this fully illustrated book features an extensive collection of images selected by the artist, including stills, drawings, and photographs, that not only document this ambitious and important new work but form an integral part of the presentation and experience of 'They Come to Us without a Word'. Also included are Jonas's poetic notes on her process and major new texts from ann Reynolds and Marina Warner as well as an interview with the artist by Ingrid Schaffner." -- Publisher.