Open House

Join us to celebrate two new exhibitions with a full day of screenings, talks, and performances by artists, activists, and scholars. The entire day is free and open to the public.

The event marks the celebration of an intergenerational storytelling project by Malikah in Homeroom, as well as the opening of a new installation by the avant-garde musical ensemble Standing on the Corner titled Seven Prepared Pianos for the Seven African Powers.

From 12 to 4 p.m., join an outdoor celebration of the opening of Malikah in Homeroom, an installation weaving together stories of migration and belonging by twelve women from Little Egypt and the North African communities in Astoria. Activities include henna tattoos, Egyptian Martial Arts performances, and more.

At 1:30 p.m. catch a screening of Art21’s new feature on Daniel Lind-Ramos, which gives an inside look into his studio in Loíza, where he created many of the works in the exhibition El Viejo Griot — Una historia de todos nosotros. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Jurrell Lewis, Art21’s Assistant Curator.

At 3 p.m. attend the second part of the Indigenous and Migrant Justice Symposium, featuring a keynote lecture by renowned sociologist Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui. Rivera Cusicanqui will discuss her research on the Ayamaran concept of Ch’ixi, a notion that “expresses the parallel coexistence of multiple cultural differences that do not extinguish but instead antagonize and complement each other,” which connects to the themes of Chuquimamani-Condori and Joshua Chuquimia Crampton’s project. The program will be conducted in Spanish, with simultaneous translation in English available.

At 7 p.m., hear avante-garde musical ensemble Standing on the Corner’s performance Bembé Secreto, free with RSVP. The artists will activate their exhibition Seven Prepared Pianos for the Seven African Powers, a large-scale installation of seven pianos distinctly presented and prepared, with symbolic objects inserted into their strings to create apparitional interventions. The concert will harness the altered acoustics of each instrument on view to summon the mysterious powers that possess them.

Throughout the day, hear a special playlist celebrating Malikah at Mina’s and on the museum terrace. While you’re there, enjoy an all-day happy hour with special cocktails and menu items.