The next chapter of The FLY | DROWN Fables opens next week as part of "Portal For(e) the Ephemeral Passage," curated by jaamil olawale kosoko at Wexner Center for Arts.

This chapter goes deeper into the world of fictional characters nyeusi and elder through film and installation. As many of you know, nyeusi is a Sankofa bird from the river, and elder’s child from another lifetime. Through an act of spiritual conjuring (presumably through elder’s prayers or orchestrated by the children of the water), nyeusi visits elder in her subconscious and teaches her how to release the shame from her body in order to fly. 

The film evokes elder’s dreamspace, where she receives messages about nyeusi’s imminent arrival. 

The fable is guided by Archive of Sky in Alexis Pauline Gumbs' "M Archive: After the end of the world," and the installation room is held together by Jasmine Hearn's “Riffs nor River” playing on loop.

This work was made possible by a 2021 Wexner Center for Arts Residency Award, a 9-month residency at Popp's Packing in Detroit, and financial support from our community during our end-of-year giving campaign. Thank you to everyone who has supported this work.