The Artist’s Voice: Anaïs Duplan. An evening celebrating the multiplicity of trans* and gender-nonconforming lives and creative practices. Curated by poet and visual artist Anaïs Duplan, this program explored various modes of trans* embodiment and coincides with Duplan’s interview with the New York City Trans Oral History Project. The evening featured a discussion with Duplan and poet xtian w, poetry readings, and a DJ set by Quest?onmarc. Listen to the interview here.
Anonymous Donor. This exhibition was curated by Anaïs Duplan and organized by Legacies for Iowa: A University of Iowa Museum of Art Collections-Sharing Project, supported by the Matthew Bucksbaum Family. On view at Figge Art Museum, 225 W. Second Street, Davenport, IA. June 29-August 25, 2019.
Inspired by Ere lbeji figures––Yoruba sculptures created to honor the spirit of a deceased twin––the exhibition features works by Kara Walker, Elizabeth Catlett, Alma Thomas, Jordan Weber, American Artist, and the Yoruba peoples. The artwork collected in this exhibition sheds light on the path we have taken to get to the present moment and suggests, at each turn, a parallel––or twin––story to the widely accepted narrative.
A newly commissioned work by American Artist re-imagines contemporary technology with black consumers in mind, while Alma Thomas’ work reminds us of black women’s participation in abstract art movements. The works by Kara Walker and Elizabeth Catlett illuminate lineages of invisible care-taking and emphasize interdependence over independence, while Jordan Weber’s meditation cushions create a reflective moment in which to contemplate the role of air pollutants in our nation’s history. Finally, the two pairs of Yoruba Ere ibeji sculptures suggest that the living and the dead may be more intertwined than meets the eye.
Private Party. Presented at the 2018 Paseo Project, Private Party is a live film about a photoshoot. Conceived as a performance piece for a photographer, two models, and a director, Private Party is an opportunity to witness oneself performing in the public gaze. Live video footage and sound, sourced from YouTube and Taos radio formed the backdrop against which performers of color worked through a series of meditations intended to explore personality, ambition, the experience of being seen as a brown body, and love. Participants were invited to watch the film/photoshoot and to take selfies at designated locations. As a durational, live experiment, Private Party explores the friction between technology and intimacy, framing and knowing, seeing and being.
INNTERDISCPLINE. Celebrating QTPOC artists who use digital & new media to work towards liberation, INNTERDISCPLINE took place on August 28th at Friends and Lovers in Brooklyn. The night featured work by Shawné Michaelain Holloway, Paula Pinho Martins Nacif, Yves B. Golden, Precious Okoyomon, Ray Ferreira, Keijaun Thomas, Sean D. Henry-Smith, Jayson Smith, and a DJ set by Jeremiah. Presented in partnership with Final Fantasy Reading Series and Roshan Abraham, INNTERDISCIPLINE combined live performance with video, music, poetry, and sound art.
The Lovers Are the Audience Who Watch. A video-poem borrowing its title from a line of poetry by Juliana Huxtable. The sequence is constructed from found footage – largely from music videos and art documentaries – where there is a central figure – the artist – being watched by an audience. Parts of the video have been shown at Mathew Gallery in New York and at the Prelude to the 13th Baltic Triennial at the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The Center for Afrofuturist Studies. An artist residency program for artists of color, based in Iowa City.
