For many of us, travel is one of the greatest joys of life. Being able to visit, and subsequently experience, a different place and its local culture allows us to step outside ourselves and forget — even just for an instant — who we are and where we come from. In these special moments, we’re able to transform from who we were when we first arrived into a version of ourselves that lives briefly but brilliantly in that specific space and time. The unfortunate truth, however, is that travel isn’t always easily accessible, and we don’t always have the opportunity to physically visit the places we may want to go. Whether it be an issue of money or circumstance, there are aspects of life that are sometimes simply out of reach — but that’s where art comes in.
Art allows us to travel the world and beyond without ever leaving our homes. In minutes you could be singing along to ABBA in Greece, having a coffee at Luke’s in Stars Hollow or battling TIE Fighters in space. And the wonderful thing about exploring these places through art is that, much like visiting the real thing, you’re able to undergo a kind of metamorphosis, emerging from the experience a newer, brighter version of yourself, with more knowledge of the world and your place within it.
Expanding on this idea, the writers of this B-Side thoughtfully examined what international art means to them, as well as how their own cultural experiences have shaped the way they interact with and understand art and the world at large. From unpacking how translation inherently changes a reading experience to considering the ways in which our cultural upbringing can affect how and where we feel most at home, they’ve truly given us much to consider when it comes to recognizing the role art plays in our lives, and how where that art was made can impact what we ultimately take away from it. If the world has ever felt out of reach for you, don’t worry — it’s time to sit back, relax and let these artists take you on a journey around the globe.
Bienvenidos; willkommen; bienvenue! Welcome to the International B-Side!
A granaina love letter
Emmy Snyder
Crying in Costco
Allison Wei
On partially feeling like you belong
Graciela Batlle Cestero
Lost in translation: navigating art in a foreign language
Annabel Curran
The Fabelmans' on a flight with and to my family
Saarthak Johri
We'll always have 'Papaoutai'
Max Newman
What 'The Little Prince' taught me about loving art and my inner child
Hannah Carapellotti