Presented by Temple Contemporary, Black Like That: Our Lives As Living Praxis aims to encapsulate the dynamic nature of Black culture as an active expression of archivalpractice. Recognizing the ways in which Black history is recorded in bodies, memory and geographies, this project highlights how the past continues to resonate in our present experiences. The works in the exhibition reflect the complexity of that history and are the result of engagement with the communities that have lived them, creating a praxis for dynamic dialogue between past and present.
This exhibition was organized through a process-based lens. Three Philadelphia-based artists, Karyn Olivier, Pat Phillips and Tiona Nekkia McClodden, spent nearly two years in deep individual research, exploring people, topics and spaces that have shaped their lives and understanding of the city they inhabit. The culmination of their research period is an exhibition presented in two parts. The first is a gallery exhibition at Temple Contemporary, the Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s center for exhibitions and public programming.The second component is presented through a series of public interventions or activations across various Philadelphia neighborhoods – including but not limited to West Philadelphia, Germantown and North Philadelphia. Together, they create a rich and nuanced tapestry of Black people, experiences and movements that provides fertile ground for exploration and interpretation from various perspectives. Along with community research and their own resources, the artists have received access to the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University, the largest archive for African American life in Philadelphia.
Black Like That: Our Lives As Living Praxis features a host of works across various media, including painting, sculpture, video, performance art and public intervention. Each artist offers viewers an opportunity to engage with themes of heritage, memory and the continuous evolution of Black culture. Each of the artists entered this project with a passion for exploration and a commitment to celebrating Black life. Their work challenges preconceived notions, provoking thoughtful inquiry, celebrating the beauty and complexity they found in their process, and reflecting back to – and within – communities the complexities of Black history as a living exercise or praxis.