TORRENTS Art in Transit

Digital Exhibition

A partnership between the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, CulturalDC, and Good Black Art

This exhibition is part of TORRENTS: New Links to Black Futures

Curatorial Statement by Phillip Collins, Founder of Good Black Art

Black creativity is rooted in the Black experience. It touches every part of our lives. As we continue to find new ways of communicating with one another, how will technology shape the future of our imagination, our environments and our social connections?

According to a study by Nielsen, African-American Millennials are trailblazers when it comes to adopting new technologies. The study indicates that 70% of African-American Millennials are fascinated by new technology, and are more likely than other Millennials to try new technology products. Our strong connection to technology didn’t just start with Black folks born after 1981. Black people have pioneered technology for generations. Computer scientist Clarence Ellis, mathematician Dorothy Vaughan, inventor Marie Van Brittan Brown, “Godfather of Silicon Valley” Roy Clay Sr. and many others reimagined our future with curiosity and creativity, making innovation a core component of the Black experience. 

With the ability to create and master all forms of technology, Black people are in a unique place in history. Today, we can own our narratives through many mediums. We can amplify our stories in ways our predecessors did not have access to. We are no longer  “hidden figures.” While our ancestors' creativity laid a strong foundation for us to thrive, the ingenuity we possess today will continue to move our culture forward. This pivotal moment of defining Black futures presents our greatest opportunity yet. 

A partnership between the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, CulturalDC, and Good Black Art and curated by Jamal Gray and Phillip Collins, the Art in Transit Exhibition will explore the concept of the expansiveness of Black creativity through the lens of technology. Taking place in metro stations across the Nation’s capital, Black emerging artists from across the country will share how they utilize technology to advance the collective exploration of the human condition, through mediums ranging from digital to AI, to film, motion graphics, gaming, photography, music, performance and many other mediums that are often left out of the art ecosystem due to lack of commercial viability. These forms of expressions are central to the Black experience in that they help shape our innovation, creativity and unique processes in telling our stories authentically. This exhibition investigates how our ability to innovate continues to expand our imagination, reconstruct our environment and build new social connections.

Celebrate Black innovation with us on your daily commutes until March 30th, 2024.

The exhibition will be on view at the Farragut North, NoMa-Gallaudet U, Gallery Place - Chinatown, L'Enfant Plaza, Rosslyn, and Metro Center stations as well as 1140 Connecticut Ave NW, a Brookfield Property in the heart of Golden Triangle BID.

On view at 1140 Connecticut Ave NW every day from 5 PM - 12 AM.

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Brittany MonÁ

Guidance, 2023

“Combining elements of neo- expressionism, graffiti, and African art, I create abstract mixed-media images, sculptures, and collages of the Black diaspora to celebrate, uplift, and communicate complex emotions of Blackness. My practice is rooted in expressing communal and transformative experiences of Black Americans with an emphasis on ancestral practices and lineages. Using a variety of mediums such as photography, clay, spray paint, wood, digital art, and acrylics, I redefine people, objects, scenery, feelings, and statements, allowing room for multiple perspectives. I use patterns, lines, shapes, and symbols throughout my pieces to pay homage to my ancestors, reproducing familiar visual and aural signs and arranging them in new conceptually layered installations.”

Karla Bussey, Goodwiggle Studios LLC

Break Free, 2023

Break Free is a looping animation that conveys the concept of breaking free in one's mind when one is unable to break free physically. It is a depiction of the average person who is trying to escape reality (typically through consumable content like music, books, or video). It is my goal to empower the viewer with the idea that one can completely free themselves with the power of their mind.

Jordan Brown

Transformerz, 2022

The "Transformerz" music video is a collaboration between musician Kala and the Lost Tribe (@kalaandthelosttribe) and visual artist Jordan Brown (@jupiter.brown). In our pandemic-era virtual process (Kala is based in Brooklyn and I was living in Montreal at the time), we spoke about returning to land and remembering our Afro-indigeneity, and our weekly talks became an experiment in dreaming up our past-future selves. What emerged was a kaleidoscopic journey through multiple dreamscapes, eventually taking to the sky to find a new planet home.

Sydney Buffalow, Cr8tion Rebel

Moon Mama, 2023

As a sustainable artist, I am driven by a deep connection to materials and design processes that transcend the ordinary. I have a passion for materials and design processes that evoke the emotions and feelings associated with transformation, rebirth, and sustainability.

One of my recent artistic endeavors is the "MOON MAMA" digital collage series. In this collection, I incorporate African wax fabric and vintage African photos of women into a lunar and celestial narrative. These pieces represent a harmonious fusion of tradition, culture, and cosmic wonder, inviting viewers to explore themes of rebirth and transformation.

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