“A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind)”
By Mina Adsit
“A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind)” Walker Art Center, ends July 5, 2026.
The current visual installation designed by Rosy Simas (Seneca Nation of Indians, Heron Clan) is a culmination of her two-year Walker Art Center Residency. Per Rosy Simas Danse website, A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind) foregrounds the Seneca notion of a “good mind.” The space is intended for contemplation and reflection. Oak benches allow the viewer to sit and spend as much time as they want within the room.
The cross-disciplinary exhibit occupies an entire gallery. The work includes ambient sounds gathered from Onondowa’ga lands by the artist, Simas’s voice speaking in Onöndowa’ga Gawë:nö, moving images, and sculpture in a meditative space. Physical materials, some of which were sourced from Onöndowa’ga lands, include salt, cornhusks, cornhusk bottles, deerskin lace, and basswood cordage. An oval light pool is central to the space, with the hanging twined corn husk bottles above catching the changing light. The sound, physical materials, light and voice in the hushed environment provide a multisensory art experience that takes time to absorb.
Simas’ residency included an original dance performance performed by Rosy Simas Danse at the Walker Art Center in mid-May. Community workshops hosted by the Walker over the course of the exhibit focused on themes from the work.
Rosy Simas is a Northeast Minneapolis Arts District transdisciplinary and dance artist. From her online biography, “Simas’ knowledge of her Hodinöšyö:nih family and lineage is the underpinning of her relationship to culture and history—stored in her body—expressed through her work—of moving people, images, and objects that she makes for stage and installation.” https://rosysimasdanse.com/currentartists Simas has received numerous awards, including Doris Duke Artist (2023), United States Arts Fellow(2022), McKnight Foundation Choreography Fellow (2016 and 2022), and from the New England Foundation for the Arts.
Rosy Simas Danse performance group, founded by Simas in 2011, is located in the Northrup King Building. Collaborating Native and BIPOC artists in the group include writers, performers, dancers, and musicians. To see descriptions of their work and upcoming events visit https://rosysimasdanse.com/
