Artist Abigail DeVille and Author Jesse J. Holland: On Art and Dark Matters
Description:
On July 27, 2022, Artist Abigail DeVille and award-winning journalist and author Jesse J. Holland discussed Holland's book, The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African American Slaves in the White House. This conversation was moderated by Hirshhorn associate curator Anne Reeve. On October 15, 2021, DeVille's critically-acclaimed installation, Light of Freedom, was welcomed to the Sculpture Garden with a sunrise performance: WAKE UP: Liberation Call at Dawn called citizens to attention on the National Mall. Through a procession rooted in drumming, the performance referenced various cries of protest and action throughout American history, a narrative that encompasses both lesser-known events such as the Stono Slave Rebellion of 1739 and more infamous ones such as the events of January 6, 2021, at the nearby National Capitol Building. Following her moving sunrise performance at the Hirshhorn in October 2021, artist Abigail DeVille returns for a sunset performance honoring the centrality of enslaved peoples contributions to the foundation of the United States. Inspired by The Invisibles: The Untold Stories of African American Slaves in the White House by Jesse J. Holland, which chronicles the African Americans who were intimately involved in the construction the White House and U.S. Capitol buildings, DeVille calls citizens to contemplate the gaps in our narrative history, through a participatory performance highlighting the tensions between illumination and darkness. Dark Matters will feature a performance by the internationally acclaimed musical artist Meshell Ndegeocello, as well as a light procession and spoken tribute to enslaved laborers who built our most recognizable monuments to American freedom.
