Emergence from Emergency (2020) was a poetic installation and collaboration between OCAD University and the stackt market. Installed at 28 Bathurst Street in Toronto, ON, the installation became an interactive journey of storytelling, vulnerability and truths around the Black experience. The installation was visible for 2 months from July 30th to August 31st 2020.
Curated by Catherine Black and Ian Keteku, the installation featured writing by Ian Keteku, Jenny Kaisama, Meighan Morson, Ehiko Odeh, Chris Markland and leaf jerlefia.
The below images showcase poetry and contributions by leaf jerlefia.
The second installation allowed visitors to express themselves on white walls. Paint and markers were available for adults and children to respond and/or pledge their solidarity to Black Canadians and Black Lives Matter.
As an act of grounding, leaf jerlefia added the first 3 stanzas of Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” on the baseboards of the room. The gesture was an homage to the poet as well as metaphor of Black resilience. jerlefia spent 13 hours installing the poem on her hands and knees repeating Angelou’s words like a mantra.
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