Saturn's Return, In Reflection Khenya Makena Saturn’s Return is a thought-provoking 3D exhibit that offers a satisfying virtual look into the work of creatives in lieu of a physical experience. The exhibit focuses on the contrast between past and future narratives in the context of changing times. Curated by Juanita Lanzo, the installation includes a variety of work that employs diverse methods for storytelling. It is a colorful plethora of quilts, mixed media, portraits, films, and assemblages by artists from all walks of life. According to NASA, “adorned with thousands of beautiful ringlets, Saturn is unique among the planets.” Astrologically, Saturn is the paternal planet of structure, discipline, karma, time, tradition, wisdom, and authority. In the wake of transitioning from oppressive systems to liberated realities, the pandemic has obligated the global population of artists to engage in communal work that embodies these principles. Saturn’s Return is a reflection of this communal response. The collection of these artists’ work includes a wide range of perspectives. Seyi Adebanjo’s short film, Oya: Something Happened on The Way to West Africa! about queer and trans people’s connection to Yoruba spiritual practices and religions, provides insight into the way black resistance is consistently evolving. Spirituality has always existed within the black community as a means to relate the spirit of an individual to their culture and community. However, colonialism has erased black queer and trans experiences from the history of religions and communal sanctuaries. Adebanjo’s documentation of rituals has created a bridge for black queer and trans people to access this indigenous oral history. Adebanjo’s work creates intimate portals into Yoruba tradition for it to be understood, appreciated, and practiced. This important archive represents queer and trans people in spiritual spaces. The narratives presented in this documentary short film maintain a common truth shared by people of the queer community—that queer existence aligns with the divine. This documentation of Yoruba spiritual practices exemplifies that the resistance against widespread oppression has evolved to include the reclamation of spiritual identity as a form of self-empowerment.
Another raw collection featured in the exhibit is the photography of Howard Cash. According to Cash, his creative medium forms a dialogue between the past and present. He states, “As an artist I have a conversation in threes: First with myself, second with my audience, and finally with my history.” Cash is an elder with 47 years of experience documenting black life. His photography collection reflects the most integral rituals of subcultures within the black community. Cash’s featured photography captures several storylines developing among communal gatherings, celebrations, tragedies, love, families, children, and elders. His work is a time capsule of intimate and inspiring moments. Both Cash and Adebanjo share a similar motive in their mutual reflections of the black community. Cash’s work represents then and Adebanjo’s work represents now. The two artists' archival visions exemplify the meaning of Saturn’s Return. Their works complement each other in a way that reflects the intention of the exhibition’s curatorial strategy. In these dynamic times, documentation of present ways of life are necessary for the black community to relay generational lessons and narratives. The stories reflected in each piece of the exhibition share a common disposition about the resilience of humanity in the face of adversity. They speak to Saturn’s core qualities—structure, discipline, karma, time, tradition, wisdom, and authority—and come together to mirror a rainbow of perspectives.
Author Bio Khenya Makena is a Bronx born, Brooklyn-based independent production artist and journalist. Their work aims to document and comment on the power of communal connection in artwork by black and brown artists. Khenya has been the youth journalist at Longwood since 2019 and has captured the curatorial strategies of past exhibits such as The Update and Progressive Transitions.