Located in the historic James FA Clark House (Goethe House) is an exciting, not-so-new cultural space, hosting public events, performances, exhibitions and talks. We were delighted to find 1014: Space for Ideas.
In its description, 1014 Inc. is an independent US not-for-profit organization founded in 2017 on the initiative of the German Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe-Institut. We came upon this wonderful space, across the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in September, while reading about events surrounding the 75th anniversary year of the United Nations.
This month, 1014 presents the digital conversations and interactive installations, Marking Absences ~ Shifting Narratives ~ a series of conversations on what emerged in public spaces after the killing of George Floyd in 2020, and reimagining the installation of new monuments as public art faces the 21st century. Marking Absences consists of six separate conversations running from October 19th through October 25th and additional programming.
The first in this series, Marking Absences ~ Shifting Narratives: Conversation #1: Un/making a Monument, brings together artists Kenseth Armstead, Olu Oguibe, and Lava Thomas with public art administrator Kayla G. Coleman to share their challenges and successes devising public art projects on the global stage.
We are familiar with one of the artists in conversation, since one of his installation is currently on view here in New York ~ Kenseth Armstead: Boulevard of African Monarchs located in the heart of Harlem. Known for his artistic connections between the transatlantic slave trade and the creative visions brought with them to this country, Armstead recreated the patterns in this installation often used on the wall paintings of Tiébélé, Burkina Faso, the royal court of the Kassena People, where every home is hand-painted. This is part of the artists Sankofa_Series ~ works celebrating Africans and their diaspora, proclaiming Black Lives Matter in three dimensions. Sankofa_honors, in monumental form, “Sankofa” a word in the Twi language that means “go back and get it.”
Marking Absences ~ Shifting Narratives: Conversation #1: Un/making a Monument will take place on Monday, October 19th from Noon to 1:00pm.
Also on Monday, October 19th, Conversation #2: Projecting The Future from 2:00 to 3:00pm.
Conversation #3: Sound as Monument will take place on Tuesday, October 20th from Noon to 1:00 pm.
Also on Tuesday, October 20th, Conversation #4: A Matter of Public Inspiration from 2:00 to 3:00pm.
Young Voices on the Future of Multilateralism will take place one Friday, October 23rd from 10am to 11:30am
Sitting In a High-Dimensional Room: A Conversation will take place on Sunday, October 25th from 3:00 to 4:00pm.
Marking Absences ~ Shifting Narratives is organized by curator Niama Safia Sandy.
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