18 Black Girls/Boys Ages 1–18 Who Have Arrived at the Singularity and Are Thus Spiritual Machines
Description
Over two consecutive nights, artist and filmmaker Terence Nance (Headlands Artist in Residence, 2014; An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, Festival 2012) presents his compelling, interactive live programs, 18 Black Girls/Boys Ages 1–18 Who Have Arrived at the Singularity and Are Thus Spiritual Machines. Accompanied by his brother, multidisciplinary artist Norvis Junior, and by local musicians and dancers, Nance investigates the predispositions of our culture and media by taking audiences through a tour of the ways that various narratives of black youth—first girls, then boys, beginning with age one and progressing through year 18—are presented via simple internet search functions. Using Google’s autocomplete algorithms and responding to audience feedback, Nance’s project presents a virtual self-portrait of our society that reflects our biases and norms back to us. With live music, personal digressions, improvisation, and chance, Nance’s presentations are each unique, and at turns heartwarming, heartbreaking, and insightful.
Please note, there are two separate performances:
Sunday April 16: 18 Black Girls Ages 1–18 Who Have Arrived at the Singularity and Are Thus Spiritual Machines
Monday April 17: 18 Black Boys Ages 1–18 Who Have Arrived at the Singularity and Are Thus Spiritual Machines
Terence Nance is an artist born and raised in Dallas, Texas who comes from a family of artists. As a filmmaker, he has made An Oversimplification of Her Beauty (Festival 2012), Swimming in Your Skin Again (2016), Univitellin (2016), and 18 Black Girls/Boys Ages 1–18 Who Have Arrived at the Singularity and are Thus Spiritual Machines (2017). Nance currently resides in the Bed Stuy neighborhood of New York, where he also makes music, installations, and friendships.