The Malcom X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial, Educational and Cultural Center
New York, NY
Solo show “Nueve Lunas” curated by Anahi Rubin
MEDIA: Three framed Installations
SIZE:4×4 feet each
PROCESS:
Description:
Journalist Anahi Rubin interviewed nine women from three different religions (Muslim, Jewish and Catholic), and made a documentary video entitled NINE MOONS about what prejudice means to them. Gema Alava created the installations TELL ME A STORY I,II,III with the participation of the women interviewed by Rubin. Alava asked these nine women to write down personal experiences about “prejudice.” Their responses were handwritten in Arab, Hebrew and Spanish on white tissue paper. Gema Alava fragmented their letters in one-by-one-inch little squares and pinned each fragment on a white board creating three circles. Each circle represents a language. The content of the letters is exposed to the public but the content cannot be read.
Gema Alava presented her installations TELL ME A STORY I,II,III at the Malcom X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial, Educational and Cultural Center in New York, in front of the exact place were Malcom X died. The original wood floor has been conserved. This exhibition was acompanied by the video “Nine Moons” by Anahi Rubin and followed up by a panel discussion.