On October 7th 4-6pm, the Dark Opacities Lab will be hosting a workshop at 4th space with Katherine McKittrick, Nasrin Hamada and guest, nourbeSe Philip, for an afternoon of talks and conversation connected to the collaborative exhibition A Smile Split by the Stars: An Experiment by Katherine McKittrick. The exhibition centres nourbeSe Philip’s moving poem “Meditations on the Declension of Beauty by the Girl with the Flying Cheek-bones,” exploring themes of black girlhood, black femininity, and revolutionary aesthetics that challenge colonial narratives and re-code the promises of modernity. The workshop will feature McKittrick delivering a lecture that engages with the exhibition’s central themes and Philip’s transformative work. Himada, one of the curatorial contributors, will offer remarks providing more context and insight into the project’s development and significance as it relates to their overall curatorial practice. Following these presentations, McKittrick and Himada will discuss, in a moderated conversation, the intersections of their work with the exhibition’s exploration of black feminist thought, poetry and visual art, and the reimagining of aesthetic and political possibilities. The afternoon will conclude with a Q&A session open to the audience.
Finally, nourbeSe Philip will give her keynote on October 8th from 6-9pm at the Conference Centre. Special guests include Dr. Esmeralda Thornhill and Montreal poet and spoken word artist, Deanna Smith. A catered reception will follow the keynote. This special evening and event will also highlight the launch of the highly anticipated Minor in Black and African Diaspora Studies in the Canadian Context. We expect a full house with members of Montreal’s Black community in attendance, including artists, scholars and community organizers.
YEARS FUNDED
2025
AMOUNT ALLOCATED
$3,000