When I first considered curating a show on the theme of globalization, I thought about how this “phenomenon” affected my personal life, and how that, in turn, was manifested in my creative works. I then thought about how my experiences differed from those of other citizens/artists, and concluded that perhaps globalization might truly speak of pervasive divergences.

Interestingly enough, a commonality between the goods and evils of globalization may be found in the commodification and consumption of culture: the widespread reach of large multinational beverage corporations and the availability of unseasonal tropical fruits worldwide are some of the obvious and over-used examples. Ironically, this paradoxical condition is furthered by our own active role in purchasing and absorbing culture(s).

The artists selected for this exhibition come from a diverse and expansive range of nationalities and ethnicities, although are mainly active in North America. They explore different facets of globalization in their artistic practice, each articulating their critique, perspective, and opinion. My encounters with them have pertinently taken place both around the world and on the World Wide Web. In many ways this exhibition demonstrates the random nature of chance encounters and the ease of routine communication from afar. All major decisions for this show, such as artist and artwork selections, were done via email. Unintentionally, all works shown utilize (to some extent) media that operate in ubiquitous and multiple realms, in and out of fine arts, such as photography, video, and the internet. As a group of creative people working together towards a common goal, our relationships were forged virtually. But conversely in the exhibition they have become actualized, and this website presents the potential for expanding and sharing these connections and their products.

The exhibition’s title parallels the process of living and making artwork within/about a global context. TERGLOBA is a term of my own creation that utilizes (perhaps incorrectly) grammatical rules found on the Internet for the Esperanto translation of the word “global”. Esperanto (which means “one who hopes”) was introduced in 1887 by Dr. L.L. Zamenhof. This politically unbiased constructed language was intended to create a communicable common denominator worldwide, "a second language that would allow people who speak different native languages to communicate, yet at the same time retain their own languages and cultural identities" (www.esperanto-usa.net). I used the adjectival form in order to leave this new word always incomplete and contingent to shifting context(s).

The positive promise of globalization, of all good things shared and accessed by all, has yet to be realized. We still live in a world ridden with problems, such as starvation, disease, terrorism, and inequality, where a few people control the majority of all goods. Esperanto has not fulfilled its promise either but, as a metaphor, its name carries the hope for a better, more inclusive future.

With the understanding that TERGLOBA also indicates pervasive divergences, this exhibition aims to explore the role of contemporary art and artists in this debate and to stimulate the emergence of multiple and even contradictory outcomes.

Vagner M. Whitehead