Nationalism

Supporting Organisation(s):
Ibero University, Mexico and Empathy & Risk
Chair/Other Speakers:
Carolina Lio (chair), Olga Margarita Dávila, Norma Iglesias Prieto and Gro Sarauw

The "Other Dialogues: Nationalism" panel was part of a three-day symposium titled Other Dialogues (Otros Diálogos), held in June 2021 at the Galería Andrea Pozzo, S.J. at Ibero University.

Organised by the research project Empathy & Risk to accompany David Cotterrell’s exhibition Dear Aliens, We Are Ready, the session brought together artists and academics to explore how distance and political polarisation fuel nationalistic narratives. Chaired by Carolina Lio, the debate examined the role of art in navigating "partial truths" and fostering pluralist narratives in a divided global landscape.

The Other Dialogues symposium, beyond its focus on nationalism, provided a crucial interdisciplinary platform to challenge the limits of international understanding. By examining how physical and psychological distance solidifies social divisions, the event used the San Diego/Tijuana border as a case study to explore global exclusionary policies and the rhetoric of identity.

Cotterrell grounded the abstract concept of nationalism in a tangible visual narrative through his featured artwork, Mazar, Texas. The piece draws eerie parallels between disparate and conflicted landscapes, compelling the audience to confront the ”partial truths” created by geographical and cultural distance. Drawing on his experience in conflict zones like Afghanistan and Palestine, Cotterrell argued for the artist’s role as an ”outsider” capable of navigating polarised environments to reveal shared human vulnerabilities.