Belinda Kazeem-Kamiński
The summer I was able to spend in New York was great and I would not want to miss my time in this city. I was not only able to use the infrastructure on site (libraries and research centers explicitly dedicated to Black cultural history), but also to network with many artists who I had not met before but only had known through their works. The large number of museums and galleries gave me the opportunity to see many works in real life, which, of course, was fantastic.
As I had already spent around four months on a private stay in New York in 2001, I also used the first two weeks to go to places I already knew in order to see what had changed in the city. The answer: a lot, of course!
Having a studio at the ISCP and living in in Greenwich Village gave me the opportunity to get to know Brooklyn better and I spent many afternoons walking around the borough and taking pictures. I particularly enjoyed networking with the other artists at the ISCP, visiting exhibitions together (we also were at the MoCA) and the studio visits.
Thus, I also met Emanuel Admassu, professor at Columbia University, in person. He had invited me to an online presentation in May 2023 and after our meeting in summer, he invited me to a gathering and book presentation at CARA (Center for Artistic Research and Alliances). The presentation of the book Where is Africa (2024) edited by Emanuel Admassu and Dr. Anita N. Bateman took place from February 8 to 11, 2024 and it was nice that I was able to come back to New York so soon, especially as the event was attended by many theorists and artists of the African diaspora and the African continent. Together with Helina Metaferia, Auttrianna Ward und Rebecca Corey, I was on the panel How do you channel [her]stories to center erased narratives? Also, I showed my film Fleshbacks (2021) and presented works created around the exhibition of Black people in Vienna’s Prater in 1896/97 and shown in Kunsthalle Wien for the first time.
The three days were very intense, but also very enriching. In addition to workshops, panel discussions, performances and presentations, there was sufficient time for talks and exchanges. Furthermore, I did not miss this opportunity to see several exhibitions and meet artists and curators who I had got to know in New York in summer. There are plans for further co-operation with some of them. New York is really one of my favorite cities and I am very happy to come back again and again!
| 1. | My stay in one word: |
| Fantastic!!! | |
| 2. | Dos & Don'ts in this place: |
| See as many exhibitions as possible. Spend much time on the Hudson River. Watch out for concerts in parks where you can often hear great musicians for free. I can’t think of any don’ts. | |
| 3. | Things I miss since I am no longer there: |
| The acceptance of diversity that I experienced in everyday life. The incredibly manifold and often also overtaxing art and culture offering. The Hudson River Park. And the best bagels at Blackstone Coffee Roaster. | |
| 4. | Where to shop great supplies: |
| I often went to the shop close to the ISCP, at the Graham Avenue subway station, Artist & Craftsman Supply Williamsburg. | |
| 5. | What you should definitely bring with you from home: |
| I really did not miss anything. | |
| 6. | Concerning art at this destination and where I visited the best exhibitions: |
| Numerous galleries in Tribeca and Brooklyn. MoMa (Museum of Modern Art), Brooklyn Museum, small gallery spaces in Brooklyn. | |
| 7. | Around the studio – where I shop, drink my coffee and get the best lunch deal in walking distance: |
| Frankly, I bought most things in Greenwich Village, cooked myself, etc. Simply because it is often expensive to eat out. BUT: there are great small Chinese restaurants offering delicious and inexpensive noodle dishes close to the ISCP. | |
| 8. | Where I like to spend the evening (dinner, drinks, best sound and networking opportunity): |
| I most enjoyed being at the Hudson River – jogging or just strolling on the pier. I liked to walk around in Harlem und Brooklyn and to go to exhibition openings in Chelsea. | |
| 9. | What would have been useful to know before coming here and starting my residency: |
| I felt very well informed. Evelyn Plaschg stayed in the apartment before me and gave me a lot of information. |
Website resident: belindakazeem.com