Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley

Pirating Blackness / BLACKTRANSSEA.COM

Part of “Spirits, Jinns & Avatars”

2.+3.3., 11.+12.3., 18:00–22:00

  • Game
  • Installation
  • Digital Art
Digital rendering of a mesh structure reminiscent of water. Human silhouettes seem to swim in it
Low-key rendering of a sailing ship in the sea with five human silhouettes on it.

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley's immersive computer game reconstructs the lost history of Black trans people in the Atlantic slave ship crossings. It presents an alternative past in which the ocean is magically animated and refuses to be an accomplice of colonisation. Shirley, who returns to HAU after her appearance in 2022, fantasises “about the search for Black trans history lost in the water” and “imagines a narrative of an ocean that refuses to let us drown”. The room installation transforms the physical space into an ocean where participants use themselves as currency to play the game. How will they rewrite history and, consequently, the present? Visitors embark on a journey of ancestors in a commemorative ritual to find out what their roles would be in the alternative present day. Press any button to enter!

Cast

Artistic direction, concept, development: Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley / Coding: Florian Bruckner

Dates

Past
  • Thu 2.3.2023, 18:00 / HAU2
  • Fri 3.3.2023, 18:00 / HAU2
  • Sat 11.3.2023, 18:00 / HAU2
  • Sun 12.3.2023, 18:00 / HAU2

Credits

Supported by: The Mechatronic Library, QUAD Derby.

Location

HAU2
Hallesches Ufer 34, 10963 Berlin

There are two marked parking spots in front of the building. Barrier-free restroom facilities are available. Four relaxed seats are available in the first row of HAU2. Tickets for wheelchair users and accompanying persons can also be booked via the ticketing system. If you need help, please contact our Ticketing & Service team at +49 (0)30 259004-27 or send us an email to
tickets@hebbel-am-ufer.de.

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