07/10/2024
“I don’t fool with the dead.” by .m, a blk q***r archival poet, textile griot, and emerging house DJ from 87 & Cottage. They explore archives and ancestral veneration with mixed media play, accompanying poetry to vinyl mixes in dedication to sankofa & sonic communion. Lately Harlem’s been exploring themes of the church, intimacy, and death through the lens of their direct family lineage.
This installment is intended to create a memorial gallery in honor of the life of their grandfather Henry Clay Hammond, who passed away 9/13/24. He was the family archivist, photographer, and career mechanic on the Southside of Chicago after migrating originally from New Orleans, raised predominantly in Brookhaven Mississippi.
This gallery will incorporate a ‘30 x 36’ quilt display woven from cyanotype and ink screen printed photos taken of and ‘by’ their grandfather. The installation will mimic that of the common black elder’s living room altar with 5-7 golden frames, varying sizes ‘4x6, 8x10, and 11x14” for the prints and photo negatives. This is inspired mainly by the altar in the Roseland home he shared with Harlem’s Grandmother, Gloria Mae Hammond {living}.
The installation will also include a small altar incorporating a small 1’4 woven wicker throne in the center, adorned with marigolds and items in remembrance . They’ve prepared a poem-obituary “In Remembrance” of him as well to share a taste of his lush-life through their eyes. Their grandfather opted out of a funeral, in fervent dedication to leave the dead where they lie, including himself. The title is from a direct quote by him, after refusing to go see his eldest sister’s gravesite.
With this installation Harlem asking the question “How do you want to be remembered?
We look forward to exploring your responses to this prompt in Harlem’s workshop on the 15th, in tandem with the debut of this gallery.
Gallery opens October 15th-November 21st. Open to viewing Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays 11am-4pm at the Space.
