Name Takes — Episodes 5 to 10, launched in 2024
Kunstinstituut Melly is thrilled to announce the release of six new episodes of its podcast, Name Takes. Building on the momentum of the first four episodes, Name Takes continues to explore the fascinating world of names, exploring the stories behind them, the causes they promote, and how their meanings evolve over time.
Name Takes is a podcast that investigates the cultures of naming, from the names of streets and buildings to individuals and beyond, featuring artists' voices and cases from the art field. The podcast is inspired by the institution's own multifaceted renaming process and aims to foster better questions about the present through art.
Listen to Name Takes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Google Podcasts, and explore the stories behind names with Kunstinstituut Melly.
Recap
The first four episodes, released in 2021, were a comprehensive dive into the cultures of naming, featuring the main voice of KeyEm who introduced artists' voices as part of her narrative. Each episode concluded with an artist’s commission, reflecting on the significance of a name. This approach resonated with listeners, who expressed a desire to hear more from living artists about their thoughts on names and naming or renaming processes.
Introducing Six New Episodes
Responding to audience feedback, these next six episodes take a new direction by replacing the narrator with an interlocutor, focusing on artist interviews. Each episode features a different artist sharing the story behind their personal moniker, weaving together real stories and artistic experiences from around the globe.
Episode 5 – Renaming Spaces and Transforming Cultural Narratives: Artist Liesbeth Bik’s Name Takes
In this episode of Name Takes, curator Sarah Demeuse speaks to artist Liesbeth Bik about the renaming of Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam, the institution formerly known as Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art. Bik explores the broader implications of the name change, highlighting the transformative power of art institutions in shaping cultural narratives and fostering dialogue. She gives attention to the institution's history and the significance of its previous name, as well as to the community-driven processes involved in its renaming. The Rotterdam artist views the renaming as a form of knowledge production, one that not only reflects societal shifts but also actively contributes to shaping them.
Episode 6 – Vanished Names, Ephemeral Existence: Artist Dane Mitchell's Name Takes
In this episode of Name Takes, writer Mary Wang speaks to artist Dane Mitchell about his project "Post Hoc", presented at the Aotearoa - New Zealand National Pavilion in the 58th Venice Biennale. "Post Hoc" centers around the act of naming and the ephemeral nature of existence. For this project, Mitchell meticulously created an extensive list of vanished entities, which range from extinct animals to discontinued fragrances. While having an encyclopedic nature, the artist acknowledges the inherent incompleteness of the names list… and the potential evolution of the project. The episode concludes with an anecdote on the serendipitous connections surrounding Mitchell’s own name, highlighting the unexpected ways in which naming can shape our lives.
Episode 7 – Names, Power, and Accountability: Lawyer and Artist Shevaun Wright's Name Takes
In this episode of Name Takes, artist Shevaun Wright discusses her project "Class Action," which examines the naming of a university gallery at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. The conversation between Sarah Demeuse and Wright delves into the psychological impact of repeated exposure to names; the concept of reputational laundering through art philanthropy; and Wright's legal efforts to challenge the presence of a funder’s name on the school building. Despite having graduated, she remains committed to activism and raising awareness about accountability in university naming practices. The episode concludes with reflections on the artist’s own name, emphasizing the multifaceted layers of meaning embedded in names.
Episode 8 – Identity, Originality, Authenticity, and Other Unreliable Terms in Art: Artist Jun Yang’s Name Takes
In this episode of Name Takes, artist Jun Yang discusses his artistic journey and the significance of names in the art world. Here, he explores the challenges of cultural expectations and biases in the art community, including instances of exhibition exclusion based on his name. This has raised an interest in artistically exploring the concept and roles of autobiography in the arts. Yang also challenges notions of artistic singularity in his work. Among the projects he speaks about is one involving another artist with the same name. In this interview conducted by writer Mary Wang, Yang makes a compelling case for using names to disrupt institutional conventions and drive change in the art world.
Episode 9 – From a Street Name to the Name of a Dutch Desert: Artist Cihad Caner's Name Takes
For this episode of Name Takes, curator Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy invites artist Cihad Caner for a conversation at a recording studio in Rotterdam, where both of them live. Here, Caner shares insights into his artistic practice, exploring themes of migration and identity in video, installations, and photography. Central to their conversation is the artist’s exploration of the Dutch pastry called Moorkop, which literally translates as moor’s head. Caner speaks about ways in which this pastry, in particular, and issues of representation in general appear in his work. Caner's exploration prompts listeners to critically engage with the power of names and narratives, bridging past and present, to challenge racial bias and reimagine collective histories.
Episode 10 – World Building and the Invention of Language: Author Ken Liu's Name Takes
In this episode of Name Takes, author Ken Liu draws upon his futurist perspective to underscore the profound differences between oral and literate societies. In this interview conducted by Mary Wang, Liu offers a deep dive into the complexities of world-building, language construction, and the significance of naming. Central to their conversation is a language created by Liu as a unifying element amidst the diverse cultures of his fictional realm; that space is named Dara and its language is called Classical Ano. Liu also explains his concept of 'silk punk fantasy' as a means to intricately weave together diverse global traditions. Emphasizing the narrative technologies that shape society's collective identity, Liu advocates for a deeper understanding of storytelling. He also offers personal reflections about his name online: "Kyliu99".
Listen to Name Takes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Google Podcasts, and explore the stories behind names with Kunstinstituut Melly.
Credits
The six new episodes of Name Takes were developed by Sarah Demeuse, Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy, and Mary Wang. The podcast’s voice recording, mixing, and original music has been developed by Jan Pohl at Okapi Recordings in Rotterdam. The audio files were mastered by Masterenzo Mastering. Production management was overseen by Rosa de Graaf and Wendy van Slagmaat Bos, and communication and marketing by Jeroen Lavèn. The graphic design of Name Takes is by Wooseok Jang from Orange Slice Type, who participated in the third annual edition of CLIP, from 2020 to 2021.
The first four episodes of Name Takes included the voices of: Ayreen Anastas & Rene Gabri, Benvenuto Chavajay, Sarah Demeuse, Anais Duplain, Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy, Nicoline van Harskamp, Sasha Huber, Sara Rajaei, Wong Kit Yi, Fernanda Laguna, Every Ocean, Jan Pohl, Jurith Schols, Andrea Valencia Aranda, and Aqueene Wilson.
The first four episodes of Name Takes were produced thanks to a grant from a donor who wishes to remain unnamed. The six new episodes are produced thanks to the support of the Culturefund | Breeman Talle Fund.