ReCoding the Codex: Cultural Heritage through Language
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 23
July 25 - October 10, 2026
Artist Reception: Saturday, July 25, 2026, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
ReflectSpace presents ReCoding the Codex: Cultural Heritage through Language, an exhibition that considers the complicated relationship between language, social justice, and cultural heritage. The codex is the historical name for a book, this becomes the starting point for the artists to re-create or re-code the way language is seen and read. Located inside Central Library, Glendale’s ultimate repository of language and books, ReflectSpace is the ideal setting for this exhibition, which intersects art, social justice, and language.
Through drawing, painting, sculpture, installation and video, the artists employ language in the form of script, handwriting, calligraphy, historical records, and archival and commercial texts, to highlight social justice issues that are relevant to their unique cultural communities. Based in the U.S. and Korea, ReCoding the Codex addresses colonization, Japanese American incarceration, and exploitation of agricultural workers, creating an international dialogue about harnessing the power of text and word in innovative ways.
In the PassageWay, works from Self Help Graphics & Art, an East L.A. art institution, extend these themes through pieces from their vast print and monograph collection.
ReflectSpace artists: Hyun Ho Hwang, Bryan Ida, Jin Woo Kim, Narsiso Martinez and Jung Min Park.
PassageWay artists from Self-Help Graphics & Art: Sandow Birk, Raul Caracoza Jr., Avis Charley, Alex Donis, Sandra Fernández, Lysa Flores, Brandy Flower, Melissa Govea (Tochtlita), Miles Hamada, Tina Hernandez (aka La Libertina), Sandra de la Loza, Álvaro D. Márquez, Dalila Paola Méndez, and Laura Molina.
ReCoding the Codex, curated by Ara and Anahid Oshagan and Monica Hye Yeon Jun, is part of a series of ReflectSpace exhibitions addressing cultural heritage launched in 2025 with Reimagining Algorithms: Cultural Heritage in the Age of AI.
This exhibition is sponsored by the Glendale Arts & Culture Commission through funding from the Urban Art Fund.
Accompanying Booklist:
This booklist provides contextual resources about exploitation of agricultural workers, colonization under Imperial Japan, the legacy of Self Help Graphics & Art, Japanese American incarceration, and the visual power of language and text.
ReflectSpace
Glendale Central Library
222 East Harvard Street
Glendale, CA 91205
View the Visit page for parking, public transit information, and open hours.