We all come from somewhere.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, we used the term “post” to describe a world that felt like an aftermath: postmodern, postcolonial, post-truth. The term points to a break, but only gently, keeping the past as the relational context through which the present is understood. By attaching modernity, colonialism, or truth to a “post” condition, these frameworks are not fully left behind. They remain the primary reference points for our current condition. This deictic language, defining the present by pointing back to what came before, no longer suits our time. We are inhabiting a moment where the structures that once defined the world no longer carry the same authority.

In preparing for this exhibition, I found myself tripping over my own assumptions. I approach the work from the perspective of an American curator at a time when the world order I inherited no longer feels secure. I tell myself that this shift may lead to a better, more equitable, and multipolar world. Still, I catch myself circling around fear, surely emerging from my bias… What does it mean to live in a world where “the West” no longer occupies the position of authority?