VENICE.- Liquid Tongues, the project of the Polish Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, is an audio-video installation that offers a reflection on how we define communication, moving beyond the spoken word to center on the concept of "Deaf Gain", and reframes deafness not as a deficit, but as a distinct culture and identity offering unique sensory perspectives.

Featuring Daniel Kotowski, a Deaf artist, as a co-creator alongside artist and playwright Bogna Burska, the Pavilion utilizes accessibility as a lens for experimental inquiry. By centering the clarity of sign language within an aquatic environment, the artists transform the perceived 'limitations' of deafness into a primary site of sensory and communicative potential.

Deaf Gain and the Fluidity of Language

At the core of the installation is the Choir in Motion (Chór w Ruchu), a group of both hearing and Deaf performers who interpret communication codes through International Sign (IS) and spoken English. The project highlights that dominant forms of communication are entirely dependent on context:

• The Underwater Equalizer: A significant portion of the work was filmed underwater—an environment where spoken language becomes distorted, while sign language remains a powerful and fluid tool for connection.

• Sensorial Immersion: The installation operates through image, sound (composed by Aleksandra Gryka), and physical experience, using acoustic waves that correspond to the vocalisations and echolocations of right whales.

• Collective Choreography: Directed by Alicja Czyczel and filmed by Magda Mosiewicz and Bogna Burska, the choir’s movements are inspired by schools of fish, proposing a form of communication built from collective resonance rather than uniform speech.

Deaf Gain and the Fluidity of Language

At the core of the installation is the Choir in Motion (Chór w Ruchu), a group of both hearing and Deaf performers who interpret communication codes through International Sign (IS) and spoken English. The project highlights that dominant forms of communication are entirely dependent on context:

• The Underwater Equalizer: A significant portion of the work was filmed underwater—an environment where spoken language becomes distorted, while sign language remains a powerful and fluid tool for connection.

• Sensorial Immersion: The installation operates through image, sound (composed by Aleksandra Gryka), and physical experience, using acoustic waves that correspond to the vocalisations and echolocations of right whales.

• Collective Choreography: Directed by Alicja Czyczel and filmed by Magda Mosiewicz and Bogna Burska, the choir’s movements are inspired by schools of fish, proposing a form of communication built from collective resonance rather than uniform speech.