One of four exhibitions currently on display at the Visual Arts Center, the “If we are here …” exhibit features five artists: Deborah Anzinger, Autumn Knight, Tsedaye Makonnen and Las Nietas de Nono (Lydela and Michel Nono). The display opened on Sept. 22 and will remain on display until March 2024. The art exhibit explores the Black feminist perspective and serves as a response to the sense of an imminent philosophical, political, and personal apocalypse.
Jamaican artist Deborah Azinger, opens the exhibit with “The Distraction of Symbolism.” The film begins with serene imagery of people playing among clear blue water paired with an overwhelming but captivating audio: the lapping of water and voices of Jamaican citizens.
Azinger leads the film into further scenery of Jamaica’s terrain and the cityside, juxtaposing one another and illustrating the duality of the country. Azinger also features the residents and their thoughts behind environmental issues, such as pollution, food security and drought. Further along, the artist evokes reflection by creating a parallel with visual language and symbolism associated with women’s bodies. Azinger’s work creates a strong sensory experience through symbols that set the tone for the short yet eloquent exhibit.
As the exhibition progresses, Autumn Knight takes center stage and the audience’s eyes meet disappointed faces on the walls. The artist then hones in on feelings of discontent through narrated texts and video footage featuring quotes from Bill E. Lawson, Madeline Martin-Seaver, and Barbara Jordan. “WV #1 Disappointment” highlights the importance of setbacks to personal growth, revolving around the theme of Black disappointment and perseverance. Knight curates a safe environment, encouraging the audience to reflect on their feelings and allow them to linger.
Tsedaye Makonnen, an Ethiopian artist, concludes the exhibit with the “Astral Sea IV,” a vibrant royal blue fabric covered in illuminating textiles. The piece accompanies “When Drowning is the Best Option,” a film that shows Makonnen approaching the Barca Nosta monument, the remains of the boat wreckage that killed over 800 migrants off the coast of Libya in 2015.
In protest of the disrespectful monumentalization of Black deaths, Makonnen crashes the fabric against cement, emulating the noise of the ship breaking at sea. Using her artistry to shed light on Black feminism and migration, Makonnen dedicates “Astral Sea IV” to the Black women that have died at the hands of United States police and the lives lost crossing the Mediterranean Sea, a route taken by African migrants en route to Europe.
The raw display elicits the sociopolitical crisis from a Black feminist approach, creating a sense of empathy to their feelings of disappointment, dissatisfaction, and discontent. The six-month long “If we are here …” exhibit remains open and free to the public, a must-see for those looking to expand their horizons to a nuanced, political art show.
