A film from the Walker’s Ruben/Bentson Moving Image Collection is paired with a contemporary work that is not in the collection. The two works resonate with timeless, conceptual connections.
Two visionary, boundary-breaking artists find creative intersections, incorporating fragments from the past to offer contemporary spaces of sanctuary and freedom. Kahlil Joseph’s beautiful and haunting short film Black Mary screens with Amir George’s metaphysical collage film Shades of Shadows, recently acquired to the Walker’s Ruben/Bentson Moving Image Collection.
Screening right here for free beginning at 10 am (CDT) May 18 until May 31.
About the Films
Black Mary by Kahlil Joseph
Singer Alice Smith performs an intimate, expressive rendition of “I Put a Spell on You,” intercut with realistic city street scenes and soundscapes. Commissioned by the Tate for their exhibition Soul of a Nation, Joseph’s Black Mary is inspired by the photography of Harlem’s Roy DeCarava (1919–2009). 2018, digital, 6 min.
Shades of Shadows by Amir George
An Afrofuturist found-footage film, Shades of Shadows is George’s collaboration with psychedelic soul band the O’Mys, incorporating live action/animation to examine spiritual mysticism and ritual. Created solely with archival footage, the characters in the film seek to manifest a better self. 2015, digital, 6 min. Note: contains brief nudity.
About the Directors
Kahlil Joseph (b. 1981) is a Los Angeles–based artist and filmmaker, best known for his large-scale video installations (BLKNWS), distinctive short films, and for his music video collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, FKA Twigs, and Beyoncé (Lemonade, the visual album). Joseph currently serves as the artistic director of The Underground Museum, a pioneering independent art museum, exhibition space, and community hub in Los Angeles that he cofounded with his late brother, visionary artist and curator Noah Davis.
Amir George is an award-winning filmmaker and curator from Chicago. His films have shown at Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, Anthology Film Archives, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and in festivals and galleries nationally and internationally. George programs at True/False Film Festival and is cofounder with Erin Christovale of Black Radical Imagination, a touring program of experimental short films.
Accessibility
This program will have captioning. For more information about accessibility, or to request additional accommodations, call 612-375-7564 or email access@walkerart.org.
For more information about accessibility at the Walker, visit our Access page.
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