Iyapo Repository X August Wilson Center
Phase 1
AWC Lab x Iyapo Repository takes form as a three day festival, series of events dedicated to art, performances, workshops, and celebrations that “affirms and projects futures of people of African descent.”(VIA) Including a live concert by Junglepussy the artist and musician.
The interdisciplinary collective of artists involved invited the public to the August Wilson Center for community driven workshops. Designed to engage the public in “collective and personal approaches to storytelling and archival practice, Afrofuturism, science-fiction, and design thinking.”(Pittsburgh City Paper)
Iyapo Repository x Carnegie Mueusm Library
Phase 2
The #kinselcollection x @avasion project, The Grove, references the concept from heaven from the Hoodoo spirituality, Kinsel family memories, and the performance “If I die I’m a Legend” by Boom Concepts.
Characters from this performance teach viewers about the history of gentrification in Pittsburgh. They are realized as physical deities created by Darrel Kinsel and tagged with a QR code to access the virtual experience. Using a smart device, or museum tablet, guests can access the Grove by scanning the tags.
The Grove is the second phase of the August Wilson Center Lab for Afrofuturist thinking, community driven workshops, storytelling, and science-fiction. The three month exhibition at the Carnegie Museum Library included artist talks, sculpture, videos, digital artworks, and. Archives by VIA, Iyapo Repository, Black Unicorn Library, Boom Concepts, Institute of Plant Motivation, and Afronaut(a). This installation was a showcase of the repository from community contributions and other artists from the collective.
