Loving the Spider

Ahasiw Maskegon-Iskwew (1958-2006) was artistic director, writer, and producer of the seminal 1997 net.art site “isi-pîkiskwêwin-ayapihkêsîsak” (Speaking the Language of Spiders).

Loving the Spider is a re-examination of the original work by Sheila Urbanoski (webmistress of the original site) and Archer Pechawis, who were long time friends, colleagues and collaborators of Maskegon-Iskwew. This reassessment of the original work is a testament to a departed friend and his prescient vision of an Aboriginal future, weaving a personal remembrance and narrative which allows us to consider the original message and how it is perceived today in the context of his larger body of work.

The original site is on the left. In the right hand column are images taken or created by Ahasiw over the course of his career, with running commentary from Urbanoski and Pechawis. Subsequent to the April 21, 2012 launch of this site we will enable comments from the public to spark the kind of vigorous dialogue Ahasiw excelled at fostering.