Simone Leigh made history as the first Black woman invited to represent America with a solo show at the Venice Biennale, and she said, how many folks can I bring with me?
The impetus behind the first Loophole of Retreat held at the Guggenheim Museum was presented thusly-
"From a peephole in her grandmother’s garret that rests on her master’s property, a young woman watches while remaining concealed. Inspired by the autobiography of writer, abolitionist, and escaped slave girl Harriet Jacobs (1813-97), "Loophole of Retreat" locates a space of creation within places of capture. This self-reflexive production of freedom within incarceration - a hidden reality carved from within the center of power - served as our metaphor for this convening."
And what a powerful metaphor for the creative labor of Black women. The lineup is stunning; I am quivering with excitement to think that I am going to be able to converse with, listen to, perform for, and study these intellectual and artistic colossi. Women like Holly Bass, whose work I fell in love with when I saw her dance in Gregory Porter's Be Good (Lion's Song), writer and poet Dionne Brand, whose book What We All Long For captivated me when it came out, Activist Tarana Burke who I just quoted on an upcoming project with Ropeadope CEO Louis Marks; when I found out she will be attending I actually gasped out loud. Please check out the lineup and grab this opportunity to hear them speak- they are all doing phenomenal work that will inspire you.
Join Marco and me for our live-streamed performance on Day 1 at 1:00 pm CET Friday, October 7th, and take advantage of this opportunity to dig into the work of these brilliant women.
You can find the lyrics (e le traduzioni per i miei amici italiani) here.
Loophole of Retreat: Venice | Day 1
Loophole of Retreat: Venice | Day 2
Loophole of Retreat: Venice | Day 3