Research trip: Paris with Old Friends and the Invisibilized Narratives of Tavares Strachan

Still gathering my thoughts after my mind has been blown by the breathtaking work of Tavares Strachan. Thanks to Ayaan Abukar of the Felix Meritis Institute in Amsterdam I was part of a Dutch delegation of artists and researchers that investigate the Black Diaspora in Europe. Part of this crew were Mark Ponte, Alberta Opoku, Mame Fatou Nian, Kimberley Smit and Valika Smulders. They invited me to have a conversation with none other then author and curator Louise Thurin and my good friends Fred Ebami and Serge Kponton!! That was so much fun...

And then the work of Tavares Strachan. He had two absolutely amazing exhibits, one at Marian Goodman Gallery and at Galerie Perrotin! They're called "in total darkness" and "in broad daylight" and a central piece in these exhibitions is Tavares' Encyclopedia of Invisibility. The encyclopedia features thousands of stories focused on historically censored or marginalized individuals, places, and events that had great impact on history.

In the exhibit at Goodman 'invisibilized' narratives (invisible to whom?) were represented through graphic collages, sculptures and installations. Four actors took us on a journey about these stories affects Black family life. The second exhibit showed some of the most impressive contemporary sculptures I've ever seen. It showed a dy*ng Malcolm X, Amadou Diallo and Steve Biko in their mothers' arms. We know who they are - Louise Little, Kadiatou Diallo and Alice 'Mamcete' Biko - but now they are no longer invisibilized in art history.

Super grateful for this opportunity.