upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024
Marcelline has been awarded the 2019 Headlong Performing Artist Residency for their proposed multidisciplinary installation titled FLOODGATE.
In her marvelous book The Spirit of Intimacy, author Sonbufu Some uses the term 'gatekeeper' to describe folks who live life at the edge between the material and spiritual worlds - the world of the village and the world of the spirit. In her indigenous village Dagara in Burkina Faso, people seek spiritual guidance from these gatekeepers who are openly known for their queer lifestyle. FLOODGATE is an inquiry into exhibitions of gender fluidity performed during rites of passages/rituals by our African indigenous ancestors. This archival research culminates into a monumental sculpture made out of blue lace fabric, an interactive library of herbs, and newly produced music.
FLOODGATE is an invitation for Black/brown/queer/trans folks to be more generous with their audience and the spiritual ideas they are willing to explore in their creative practices. It is also a moment of respite, a time to kiss the ground laid out by those who have walked on this plane before us and whose legacy we trail behind.