Asesinos! Asesinos!, 2014
Kader Attia. Vehbi Koç Foundation, Istanbul.
Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica presents the works of artist-activists such as Inji Efflatoun and Malangatana Ngwenya who were incarcerated for their revolutionary ideals. Their artworks link the psychological isolation of incarceration with the physical isolation of a prison cell. For both artists, art making provided a vital means for expression and survival.
Join Grace Ebert, vice president of Chicago Books to Women in Prison, and Marielle Epstein, assistant director of Interpretation, to discuss the carceral system and tools for mental and physical emancipation.
Drawing upon the exhibition’s themes of interiority and withdrawal, we will explore how we can enact the universally egalitarian ideals of Pan-Africanism through literature, art, and grassroots activism, which can be an essential source of connection in times of persecution.
about the speakers
Grace Ebert is a writer and curator. She is currently the vice president of Chicago to Books to Women in Prison, an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) organization that sends free books to women and trans people in prison nationwide. She is also a co-curator of Prism/Prison, a magazine of art and writing that connects artists outside and inside the prison system.
Marielle Epstein is assistant director of Interpretation at the Art Institute of Chicago. In this role, she supports the visitor experience by developing exhibition texts, learning tools, and gallery narratives. Her work is informed by spending time with visitors in the galleries leading tours and in public programs. She believes that each artwork is a springboard for inspiring, challenging, and dynamic conversations which create opportunities for connection and change.
what to expect
The group will meet outside Regenstein Hall at the entrance to the Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica. Gallery stools will be provided. ASL interpretation and/or assisted listening devices are available upon request at museum_interpretation@artic.edu. Assisted listening devices are limited and available on a first come, first served basis. Requests must be made at least two weeks in advance.
