Black Ecologies: Land, Memory, and the More-than-Human
Open Studios: Black Ecologies Workshops
As part of Black Ecologies: Land, Memory, and the More-than-Human, Black Interactive invites you to five hands-on workshops at The Arts Center on Governors Island. Each session offers a different way to engage with the exhibition's questions through making.
Guided Meditation: Grounding — 12:00 PM, Room A4
Start the day grounded with a one-hour guided meditation before diving into the workshops ahead.
Rebirth (Zine Making) — 12:00 PM, Area near A4
Write short tributes to lost technologies and places (an old flip phone, a demolished building, a discontinued device) then use that reflection as material to imagine what could take their place. No writing or design experience needed.
AR Animation Workshop — 1:00 PM, Room A4
Learn the basics of AR animation by drawing on layered zine pages that build into a live augmented-reality piece. Bring a laptop.
Much Ado About Yam — 2:00 PM, Room A4
A lecture and workshop presenting ongoing research on the Igbo yam barn (Oba ji), a traditional storage structure. See architectural drawings, archival images, and a physical model, and learn how this everyday building encodes generations of knowledge about climate, food preservation, and land. Includes a hands-on component to build something to take home.
Collage Making — 12:00–3:30 PM (drop in anytime), Area near A4
Cut and reassemble vintage Black print media into new speculative forms. We'll have back issues of Essence and Ebony on hand to cut into, plus a few copies of Jet out for reference (display only — not for cutting!). Feel free to bring your own magazines, photos, or ephemera to work into your piece too.
All sessions are drop-in style and open to all skill levels. Come for one or stay for all three.