The contributions gathered in the second volume of Vegetal Entanglements—a tryptic entirely dedicated to plants in art and culture—focus on the notion of plant-encounters as an opportunity to overcome plant-blindness and see plants beyond... more
The contributions gathered in the second volume of Vegetal Entanglements—a tryptic entirely dedicated to plants in art and culture—focus on the notion of plant-encounters as an opportunity to overcome plant-blindness and see plants beyond the strictures of epistemic objectification. It is in this context that the artists, scholars, curators, and plant lovers featured on these pages stage and analyse original encounters with the vegetal world; they make visible, problematize, deconstruct and recontextualize to show how encounters with plants define our lives in multiple and often unpredictable ways.
Research Interests:
"AFRIFUTURI 02022020 is a monograph and artist’s book that features eight performance-costumes from past exhibitions and eight writings—academic papers, performance scripts, poetic essays, and even a recipe for fried flying ants—from... more
"AFRIFUTURI 02022020 is a monograph and artist’s book that features eight performance-costumes from past exhibitions and eight writings—academic papers, performance scripts, poetic essays, and even a recipe for fried flying ants—from D. Denenge Duyst-Akpem's years exploring the Afrofuture" -- publisher's website
"The Camo Coat Collection addresses questions of protection in spiritual and logistical realms, inspired by the Yoruba orisa Osanyin, god of healing, plant divination, and forest wisdom and by the writings of Octavia Butler, in... more
"The Camo Coat Collection addresses questions of protection in spiritual and logistical realms, inspired by the Yoruba orisa Osanyin, god of healing, plant divination, and forest wisdom and by the writings of Octavia Butler, in particular, Parable of the Sower about which I recently taught the SAIC course “Take Root Among The Stars: The Legacy of Octavia Butler, Surviving the 21st Century & Beyond” with a panel of eco-feminist practitioners (Chelsea Frazier, A. Martine Whitehead, Hương Ngo, and Sami Schalk) and an exhibition of student survival “go” packs based on the book, featured in a Chicago Tribune article “Octavia Butler Exhibit Pushes SAIC Students to Showcase Their “Visionary Muscles” by Darcel Rockett." -- publisher's website
"Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates, whose projects range from small-scale sculptures to ambitious urban interventions, investigates the transformative powers of art in this provocative book. As the force behind the much-acclaimed... more
"Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates, whose projects range from small-scale sculptures to ambitious urban interventions, investigates the transformative powers of art in this provocative book. As the force behind the much-acclaimed Stony Island Arts Bank, Gates responds creatively to the challenges of space, whether working in museums or in communities. In this instance, he explores notions of blackness, freedom, and the history of house music. Featuring works by the artist himself as well as objects drawn from the Exhibit of American Negros at the 1900 Paris Exposition, the Ed Williams collection of negrobilia, and Frankie Knuckles's vinyl collections, How to Build a Museum proposes new ways of honouring and remembering Black experience, exploring the potential of symbolic structures and their associated objects. " -- Publisher's website
Research Interests:
D. Denenge Akpem is an Afro-Futurist space sculptor, performance artist, designer, writer, and educator who meticulously constructs fantastical Afri-sci-fi narratives comprised of multi-media environments inhabited by hybrid creatures as... more
D. Denenge Akpem is an Afro-Futurist space sculptor, performance artist, designer, writer, and educator who meticulously constructs fantastical Afri-sci-fi narratives comprised of multi-media environments inhabited by hybrid creatures as critical representations of identity and beauty. She creates interactive spaces to interrogate stereotypes, titillate the senses, and empower those who experience them to shape their own futures, rooted in Sun Ra's transformational legacy and asking "Who controls the future?" Her practice is concerned with issues of incarceration and liberation, both physical and metaphoric; social justice; the use of ritual as an act of revolution and transformation; and environmental consciousness. For the last fifteen years, her award-winning work has bridged the disciplines of interior design, site-specific sculpture, public art practice, and science fiction. She considers her work Afro-Futurist and sees AfroFuturism as a creative theory, rooted in...