"Paradise Under Reconstruction in the Aesthetic of Funk: A Quantum Leap, Starting From The Top…!!!"
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Xenobia Bailey, a Seattle native, created an immersive installation in the Seattle Presents Gallery that used the 180-square foot space as a platform to display African-American joy, innovation and experimentation while creating a nuanced discussion about race with the community. “Paradise Under Reconstruction in the Aesthetic of Funk: A Quantum Leap, Starting From The Top…!!!” is a digital collage rendered on vinyl wrap, covering the entire gallery space. The artwork shows the African-American homemaker as magician while referencing a larger connection to the larger African-American community and Seattle’s history. The stunning installation stopped passersby, drawing them in from the gray Seattle winter landscape into a dazzling color palette to become immersed in Xenobia’s visionary artwork. The Seattle Presents Gallery’s Series, Dialogue in Art: Exhibitions on Racial Injustice, was a yearlong exploration of artists’ interpretations of racial injustice and systemic racism impacting Black and African-American people throughout America.
PROJECT LOCATION
PROJECT TEAM
Seattle Office of Arts & Culture