2020

time now for ghosts is the exploration of traditional nature-centered spiritualities and realities as they are interpreted through the practices of Black artists working with an afrofuturist lens and hand.

Afrofuturism begs us to open the window at the meeting point of past, present, and future. This philosophy not only highlights the nuance within the global Black community, but it also celebrates the vastness of the diaspora. Within Afrofuturism, we are whole. As a creative in this context, I work in lock-step with my collaborators to explore the adventures, celebrations, and challenges of our mothers, grandmothers, and matriarchs. This work though, is undeniably personal- I’m haunted by thoughts of creating lines of communication across universes to more deeply understand the lives of my mother, both of my grandmothers, and the long line of matriarchs and mystics in my family.

I enter into this work bringing curiosity for the themes of the cultivation and nourishment of mysticism in Black life, mothering and daughtering; and the generational throughlines that connect our ancestors lives to ours.

Composed by: Liz Gre
Presented at: Center for Afrofuturist Studies, Iowa City, IA