A Post-Basel Retreat Brought Performance Art to St. Croix
Antwaun Sargent — Dec 15 2016
Cruz and Newsome’s performances contrasted the Crucian artist Oceana James’ hour-long street performance, For the Deceitful Fellow. Dressed in all white, James used a folktale structure for the performance, which took place on the plot of land once owned by Venus Johannes, an African slave who gained her freedom by marrying her slave ship captain who sold her back into slavery once the ship docked in St. Croix. (Johannes eventually won her freedom again.) On the ruins of Johannes’ home, James told of the shared history between black Americans, those living on St. Croix, and the larger African Diaspora. At one affecting moment, James walked through the street below Johannes’ former home and shouted, “They were people not slaves!” before breaking into dance, keeping rhythm with a shekere as she called out names of black Americans killed by the police and vigilante white men.
“Eric Garner was people!” she yelled. “Martin Luther King Jr., people!” Members of the audience whispered the Yoruba philosophical concept for change, “Ase.” “Michael Brown, people!” “Renisha McBride,” an audience member called out. “People!” James said, jabbing her finger into the air as other names were said, too. “We gave birth to people. Not slaves, not slaves, not slaves! People!” she said, as the audience cried, “Ase! Ase! Ase!” James fell silent and then handed out sheets of paper with salve ledgers printed on them.
*Please click link to read entire article
http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/post-art-basel-retreat-performance-art-st-croix
