Projecting Our Stories, Projecting Our Future

Conceived as two distinct but related shows, Projecting Our Stories and Projecting Our Future were both responses to the overlapping pandemics of Covid-19 and racism. Since DS4SI couldn’t bring people together for live, interactive public-making, we shifted to a new—larger than life—way of claiming space for artists and communities of color along the Fairmount Cultural Corridor.

Projecting Our Stories highlighted the communities and artists in Upham’s Corner and along the Corridor by projecting our work high onto the side of the historic Strand Theatre. In some ways, we imagined Projecting Our Stories to be like turning the Strand inside out—with beautiful art and performance viewable to all. Even while our lives are challenged by the current social emergencies, Projecting Our Stories was a testament to our collective vision and strength.

Projecting Our Future seized on this current moment—with both Covid-19 and the Movement for Black Lives—as a powerful opportunity to examine and re-imagine the arrangements of daily life. At DS4SI, we assert that now is the time to question and reinvent what’s normal, rather than go back to a "normal' deeply rooted in racial and spatial injustice. We invited artists to propose new arrangements, ones that are more just, creative and joyful. 

Participating artists submitted both videos and stills. Below are images from both weekends.

All photos courtesy of Dan Albright.

Projecting Our Stories, Projecting Our Future was possible thanks to the amazing artists who shared their work and our generous partners: Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture, the Strand Theatre, Masary Studios, the Fairmount Cultural Corridor, JP Centre/South Main Streets, Boston Design Week and Dan Albright.