unbroken as it ever was
bonjour mes copains!
i am ecstatic to share that the third and final installment of beautiful experiments, a screening series and print release project by the first and the last, went live today! i wrote a piece in response to Kearra Amaya Gopee's short film how to break a horizon, and U can witness both on the Ori Art Gallery's website from today until March 15th, 2022.
watch and read here: https://www.oriartgallery.com/beautiful-experiments (scroll to the section that reads 'TO VIEW THE CURRENT SCREENING, CLICK HERE')
i feel so much gratitude to kiki nicole and ri tai from the first and the last for extending the invite, to Kearra for trusting me to interact with their work, and to the other artists and writers who were part of this exhibit. this marks a meaningful milestone on my journey as a writer, and i know that many more opportunities to intentionally share my work are on the way. it feels doubly auspicious that my and Kearra's portion dropped on Mardi Gras! if U have heritage from Trinidad and Tobago like we do, U know today is also the height of Carnival, a parallel celebration in the Caribbean created by enslaved Africans to honor their myths and rituals as well as mock their captors. though this installment is not adorned with beads, sequins, powder, or mud, it is still an timely testament to the power of Black folks' connection and embodied memory. tap in, enjoy, and share your thoughts if U feel obliged <3
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in the piece i wrote, i invoke Drexciya as it relates to channeled communion with the sea. i spent time with their discography for inspiration when i worked on the final draft of my response, and i thought of my friend Dani whenever i pressed play. they were the one to put me on to Drexciya's music, and each time they crossed my mind, i wondered how a conversation between us might turn out since over a year had passed since we last spoke. sadly, whenever we speak now, it will have to be at my altar.
Dani passed away in January of this year at the age of 24. ever the dreamy and heartfelt Pisces, their 25th birthday would have been eleven days from today. it still doesn't quite feel real that their spirit has broken free from their vessel. that this magnificent person who taught me how to roll a blunt, who started LAVA REIGN with me, Sarah, and Reg, who did everything big (especially in smile, presence, and heart) is simply not here anymore. i won't hear their booming voice again in this realm, but i know it exists amid the roaring chorus of the sea. to them, i say: thank U for everything, Dani Miriti Pacheco. rest well.