“Rituals of Resilience” is an audio-visual experience, co-curated by the Twin Cities-based musician and community organizer Chaka Mkali (aka I Self Devine). The experience creates dialog between works by Black visual artists from the United States, Africa, and the greater African Diaspora and new music created for the exhibition by Mkali and his collaborators. Artworks by Kevin Beasley, Bisa Butler, Jordan Casteel, Wangechi Mutu, Robert Pruitt, Cinga Samson, and others explore themes of identity, culture, spirituality, and power through the embodiment of Black lived experience. The accompanying album grew from in-depth research on the work of each artist, and approaches their individual visual practice as a means to access and articulate a collective Black consciousness that transcends time and space.

Chaka Mkali explains, “’Rituals of Resilience‘ is about the act of survival under intense pressure and heat. A place to hide when being in your body isn’t safe. A reimagining of new worlds and possibilities. The creative culture of Indigenous and diasporic ethnic groups of African descent surviving and dismantling 400 hundred years of white supremacy … through a visceral fabric of repetitious intentional movements, vibrations, gatherings, acts, symbols, and codes.”

“Rituals of Resilience” is co-curated by Chaka Mkali and Gabriel Ritter, Mia’s former Curator and Head of Contemporary Art. The album is executive produced by Orko Eloheim, Medium Zach and I Self Devine, with features from The Lioness, SoloStar, Tish Jones, Izell Pyramid, Muja Messiah, Greg Grease, I-BE and others.

Under the curatorial guidance of Chaka Mkali, this exhibition has been re-installed (to protect light-sensitive artworks) and the closing date extended until July 31, 2022. The new display introduces artworks by Edgar Arceneaux, Bisa Butler, Alfred Amadu Conteh, Adebunmi Gbadebo, Robert Pruitt, Faith Ringgold, Mitchell Squire, Renée Stout, and others. 

Album Lyrics
Buy The Album Here