Voncena’s Spell is a live artwork exploring the intersection of memory, memorial, and the speculative futures of post-mortal radical Black life. Part auto-fiction, part space maroon odyssey, the work uses embodied queer archival strategies to journey into the complex layers of Black existence, ecological grief, and blood memory. Set aboard the spacecraft Voncena, an alternative bio-intelligence—named after and embodying jaamil olawale kosoko’s deceased mother—awakens. Experiencing the ontological delay of a new anti-verse surrounding them, this genre-bending performance combines live feed media, choreography, and embodied poetics to immerse the audience in a complex physical narrative where personal and collective histories merge. Voncena's Spell represents the awakening of silenced histories portaling within a vessel toward a Black future beyond capture.
Note: Masks are required for the June 21st performance.
Accessibility
Abrons Arts Center’s Experimental Theater is a flexible seating space. Wheelchair and mobility device seating locations change from performance to performance. The Experimental Theater is accessed via an elevator.