MXLTIPLY
ARCH 3020 | SPRING 2020
INSTRUCTION:
PROF DEVIN DEBROWOLKSI
The Block (2020) is an active retelling of African
American history, in which the spatialized and
immersive reconstruction of Romare Bearden’s
“The Block” (1971) assembles experiences
from various American cities transcending
time within a single Harlem Block composition.
Visitors play the roles of spectators, subjects
within collaged spaces of Isabelle Wilkerson’s
“The Wamth of Other Suns”, and even the artist
themselves, empathizing with the daily life
experiences and emotions of individual times
places and people of the Great Migration while
unveiling and celebrating the shared realities
throughout.
dŚĞ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƐŝƚĞ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂƌĞĂ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ ǀŝĐŝŶŝƚLJ ŽĨ hsA͛Ɛ >ĂŵďĞƚŚ ,ŽƵƐŝŶŐ ĐŽŶƐŝƐƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚƌĞĞ ŽƉĞŶ
ƐƉĂĐĞƐ͖ >ĂŵďĞƚŚ &ŝĞůĚ͕ ƚŚĞ ŽƉĞŶ ƐƉĂĐĞ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ƚŚĞ >ĂŵďĞƚŚ ŚŽƵƐŝŶŐ ƵŶŝƚƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ĮŶĂůůLJ ƚŚĞ ůŽƚ͘ Aůů
ƚŚƌĞĞ ĂƌĞ ƐƉĂƌƐĞ ĂŶĚ ďĂƌƌĞŶ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƐƉĂĐŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƐĐĂůĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĂĐƚƵĂů ŚŽƵƐŝŶŐ͘ dŚĞ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ
ĞdžĐĞƌĐŝƐĞ ŝŶƚĞŶĚƐ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ Ă ŵĂƚƌŝdž ŽĨ ƐƉĂƟĂů ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ ďŽƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽƉŽƐĞĚ ůĂŶĚƐĐĂƉĞ ĂŶĚ
ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞŶ ĂŐŐƌĞŐĂƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŽǀĞƌůĂƉƉĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ŵƵůƟƉůLJ ƚŚĞ ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ
ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ǁŝůů ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞŶ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ Ă ŵƵĐŚ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ ƐƉĂĐĞ͘ dŚĞ ĞŶĚ ŐŽĂů ŝƐ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ Ă
ƐLJƐƚĞŵ Žƌ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ĂƉƉůŝĞĚ
ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐĂůůLJ ƚŽ ĂŶLJ ƐŝƚĞ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƚŚĞ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ŽĨ sŝƌŐŝŶŝĂ͛Ɛ >ĂŵďĞƚŚ &ŝĞůĚƐ͘
͞BĞ ĨƌƵŝƞƵů͕ ĂŶĚ ŵƵůƟƉůLJ͘͟
Ͷ<Ƶƌƚ sŽŶŶĞŐƵƚ͕ 'ŽĚ BůĞƐƐ zŽƵ͕ Dƌ͘ ZŽƐĞǁĂƚĞƌ