This weekend I was very lucky to be able to go see Kahlil Joseph: Double Conscience. This was a truly exciting experience because I love art, and I love Kendrick Lamar (whose album is featured on this video, throughout the entirety of it). It basically tells the story of African Americans living in California and what their lives are like, which I find very interesting to see because, frankly, there’s not a ton of accurate media representation about that, which you can see in film or TV today. It’s a very down to earth, shot to shot, portraiture of people all around the Compton area and what life is like through their eyes. The story is told on a double projected screen as to don a feeling that their lives are split into two, putting forth the idea of “double consciousness” which is said to be a psychological description of Black Life in America. It is not only insightful, but also aesthetically pleasing, which is a touch unexpected. I only noticed the film being shown when I heard the heavy bass coming out of the room, from looking at the other contemporary art installations. This is what spiked my curiosity. Upon entering the room and really taking in everything that the film had to offer, I was overwhelmed that I had not seen or heard of it before. It was really quite the experience.
If you have the chance to do so, I would highly suggest checking this installation out at the MOCA while you can. It is very creative and super insightful. I really enjoyed it.