The conference “Cultures of Exile: Conversations on Language and the Arts” was inspired by the music of Georges Moustaki (1934–2013), especially his song “Le Métèque” (1969). In “Le Métèque” (music, lyrics) Moustaki dealt with outsiders, strangers, and all those who do not share one homogeneous place of origin. What does it mean to be a “métèque,” an exile, an outsider today? Although often associated with loss and victimhood, exile can also foster artistic freedom, creativity, renewal, and empowerment. What is the role of the new place in the development of one’s artistic oeuvre? How does the memory of original sounds, visual images, and physical places inflect one’s creative voice? Many of our New Mexico students have personal experiences of exile and relocation. Through presentations and discussions, we will examine how personal and national tales of loss and adversity, transformed through the artist’s medium, can become powerful testimonies of the human condition.
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