Descendant Perspective: Frank
by Frank Albert Johnson, Jr., Menokin Descendant and Trustee
Dineo Seshee Bopape and Frank Johnson at the Institute for Contemporary Art.
The two main aspects that emerged in my experience of Dineo Seshee Bopape's exhibit were the following:
I often think about the actual ordeal of the human experience of slavery. However, her use of natural elements put into an artistic medium made me think about environmentalism during slavery. The term environmentalism has modern-day popularity. It also had relevance to the slaves during their ordeal. Therefore, it made me ask the question: In what ways, did the slaves interact with the environment?
One aspect of the exhibit involves a water bucket. Upon encountering the bucket, the observer dismisses the bucket as catching water from a leaking pipe or ceiling. There is a booming sound that is part of the overall exhibit. Guess what? The bucket that appears to be catching leaking water is intentionally catching water droplets whose sound when landing in the bucket causes the booming sound throughout the exhibit! In other words, Bopape's craftiness and subtlety magnifies into an artistic sound that invites the observer to imagine the sounds of water during slavery which is the context of Bopape's exhibit.
Ile aye, moya, là, ndokh...harmonic conversations…mm is open at the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU until December 19. Learn more about Menokin’s involvement in the creation of the exhibition.
Wall painting within the exhibition. Photo by David Riley.
Exhibition space. Photo by Michael Beller.