Join us on Haitian Flag Day for a conversation with the BYENVENI exhibition curator, Yvena Despagne and featured exhibition artists.
Photo of rebòlution by Tasha Dougé.
BYENVENI curator, Yvena Despagne will engage two of the exhibition’s featured artists in a discussion that explores their artistic expressions, freedom, and the concept of the “Haitian Dream”.
The featured artists of this talk are Tasha Dougé, and OYASOUND whose artistic styles span from music, to photography and conceptual approaches.
Exhibition Tour: 1 - 2 p.m.
Curatorial Talk & Listening Fêt: 2 - 4 p.m.
Experience the exhibition with guided tour, then engage in an interactive experience with freedom at the center led by Tasha Dougé based on her featured piece, rebòlution. Finally, celebrate Haitian Flag Day and our freedom of expression, freedom of joy, and freedom to dance with a closing fêt as we listen to the new OYASOUND album, "Tonight We Fly (Aswè A Na Vole)". OYASOUND’s exhibition piece, Lwa Nan Dlo is one of the songs in this new album.
The exhibition will be open for independent viewing at Noon. Online registration has closed; walk-ups are welcome to register at the door. Admission is based on capacity of space.
There is no cost to attend. Donations are strongly encouraged.
This event will feature Freedom Soup (Soup Joumou) and complimentary rhum refreshments will be provided courtesy of Spirits of Haiti.
OYASOUND Project
Founded by DJ/Producer/Event Curator Sabine Blaizin, Oyasound Productions is a music lifestyle brand dedicated to amplifying the vibrant intersections of cultures within the African Diaspora cultures through the syncretism of traditional rhythms and electronic music. In collaboration with & Percussionist/Producer/Vocalist Okai Musik, “Tonight We Fly” is a sonic voyage that invites the audience into a captivating symphony of sight and sound. Each song on the album will be paired with a unique, hand-painted conch shell, housing an embedded MP3 player. This immersive experience lets listeners explore the music on a deeply personal level, unlocking hidden layers within each composition.
Tasha Dougé
Tasha Dougé is a Bronx-based, Haitian-infused artist, artivist and cultural vigilante. Her body of work activates conversations around women empowerment, health advocacy, sexual education, societal "norms," identity and Black community pride. Through conceptual art, teaching, and performance, Dougé devotedly strives to empower and to forge broad understanding of the contributions of Black people, declaring that her "voice is the first tool within my art arsenal."
She has been featured in The New York Times, Essence Magazine and Sugarcane Magazine. She has shown nationally at RISD Museum, The Apollo Theater and Rush Arts Gallery (Philadelphia). Internationally, Dougé has shown at the Hygiene Museum in Germany. She is alum of the Laundromat Project's Create Change Fellowship, Urban Bush Women's Summer Leadership Institute, The Studio Museum of Harlem's Museum Education Program, the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute's Innovative Cultural Advocacy (ICA) Fellowship and their inaugural Digital Evolution Artist Retention (DEAR) program.
Lakay se Lakay
Lakay se Lakay, which translates to Home is Home in Haitian Kreyòl is a year-long homage that celebrates the legacy of Haiti, Our Black Nation, Lakay se Lakay is a cultural odyssey through which we dedicate much of our programming. Using the lens of Haitian arts and scholarship, CCCADI explores home as a space for refuge, building family and community, preservation of traditions, a foundation for cultivating joy, and the roots of sovereignty.
You can support this work by making a donation to CCCADI. Help us advance Pan-Caribbean and Pan-African connections so that together we may build a brighter AfroFuture.