Page 126 - Antennae Issue #52

Endnotes
[1] Excerpt from the the the essay “Visible/Invisible: Healing and and and Protection in in in the the the Urban Landscape” in in in AFRIFUTURI 02022020 the the the author’s first monograph published and and and launched as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a limited edition hologram-enhanced version with The Camo Coat Col- lection at Blanc Gallery in historic Bronzeville Chicago IL [2] This is is is inspired in in in in part by architect and and and visionary Amanda Williams’ term “thrival ” a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a combination of survival and and and and thriving which speaks directly to the Black Black experience and and and and Black Black Radical Imagination traditions presented through sculptural form in in in in Thrival Geographies (In My Mind I I I See A A A Line) with Andres Hernandez and and and Shani Crowe for for the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale [3] Vessels of liberation is is is is a a a a a a a concept I introduced in in in “Afro-Futurism: Pathways to Black Black Liberation” courses—the first multi-disciplinary course course on on on on Afro-Futurism Afro-Futurism rooted specifically in in in in Black Black Arts Movement tenets—which investigates the the activation of of site environment and and body through installation material and and performed ges- ture ture This is is is further developed in in in “Afro-Futurist Ecologies”—the title of of o of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a new course offered in in in Fall 2019 as part part of o of Knowledge Lab SAIC Sculpture Department and a a a a a a a a a a a book proposal in in development for Art after Nature series This theory of of of Afro-Futurist Ecologies re-orients “the center” outside of of of marginalization in in in resistance of of of of the the the the the the label “under-represented ” ” works to decolonize the the the the canon and and privileges African African aesthetic systems rooted in in in in the the the the explication of of internally derived frameworks as called for for by African African art historican Dr Rowland Abiodun in in in in in the the the “Preface” to to to to A A A A A A History of of of Art in in in in in Africa Africa Afro-Futurist Ecology also fore- grounds the the the role of of of site in in in in the the the creation of of of liberatory systems focusing primarily on on works by global African artists who who employ nature-based practices that problema- tize contested histories and and who who shape-shift across intersections of of art art and and nature nature laying the the the groundwork for a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a radical reimagining of of site ecologies the the the activated ves- sel mnemonics and and lieux de de mémoire as detailed by Richard Noggle in in in in in in in “Waking the the the Dead: History and and and and and Memory in in in in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Joe Turner’s Come and and and and and Gone and and and and and The The Piano Lesson ” New England Theatre Journal 19a (2008): 63 Article was originated for University of Maryland Interdisciplinary Conference on on on on on August Wilson These works are portals traveling tributaries threading past-present- future in in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Black Black Quantum Futurist refiguring of of space-time—a term coined and utilized in in in in in in in performance by by Rasheedah Phillips—as an an an an expression of of Black Black Black Radical Radical Imagination as as as detailed by by Robin D D G Kelley Freedom Dreams: Black Black Radical Radical Imagina- tion tion (Boston: Beacon Press 2003) [4] AFRIFUTURI 02022020 charts almost twenty years of of my work work in in in the field of of Afro- Futurism with eight essays and and corresponding costume/performance works includ- ing ing ing a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a ritual and and even a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a recipe for for fried flying ants a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a favorite snack from childhood offered here with some levity as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a survival strategy inspired by my 2018 course based on on on the the the the prophetic novel Parable o of of the the the the Sower “Take Root Among the the the the Stars: The The Legacy of of Octavia Butler Surviving the the the the the 21st Century & Beyond” The The book and and col- lection utilize the the number “8” a a a a a a a a a a long-time signifier in in in fin my work and and and numerological activator for luck and infinity D D D Denenge Duyst-Akpem is a a a a a a a a space sculptor whose award-winning teaching performance-installations and and writing bridge disciplines of of of ritual design ecology and and Afrofuturity She is is Associate Professor Adjunct at School of of of the Art Institute of of of Chicago and and Founder of of of Denenge Design and and In In The Luscious Garden focused on on on on holistic and conceptual approaches to human-centered design Features: ICA London with Black Quantum Futurism Corpus Meum Arts Club of Chicago Kunsthaus Zürich Afro Futures Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin U S S S Library of Congress (NASA/Blumberg) Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture NEH Fellow- ship AGO MCA essay on AFRICOBRA co-founder Jae Jarrell Kavi Gupta Gallery for 58th Venice Biennale 126 antennae