04/09 – Decolonizing Death: Lessons From Marronage, Black Spirituality, & Afrofuturism by sun-Lynn Hunter

Session Details
Date: 04/09
Time: 6:30-8:30pm CT / 7:30-9:30pm ET
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83766146223
Meeting ID: 837 6614 6223

Virtual online session
Closed captions available
Sessions are not posted online
Sessions are open to the public

The primary motivation behind my exploration of this topic is to uncover alternative perspectives on death, dying, and mourning that challenge the dominant Eurocentric narratives. How can those perspectives allow for empowerment and restoration within our communities? I am driven by a desire to shed light on the ways in which colonized societies have shaped our understanding of death and spirituality, often erasing or marginalizing the rich and diverse beliefs and practices of Black & Native communities. By focusing on the concepts of Marronage, Black Spirituality, and Afrofuturism, I aim to delve into how they each have navigated and resisted colonial influences, offering valuable insights into how we can reimagine our relationship with death, time, and grief.

In the process of my research, I am exploring a range of questions. How have historically marginalized communities, particularly those of African descent, developed their own frameworks for understanding and embracing mortality? What can we learn from the practices of Marronage to inform our contemporary discussions on death, liberation, and autonomy? How does Afrofuturism offer innovative ways to envision life, death, and the afterlife, liberating us from the constraints of traditional paradigms?

sun-Lynn Hunter is a captivating multimedia artist and researcher based out of Baltimore & Chicago. Through endurance-based performances, interactive installations, video, sound & public workshops, sun delves into the profound realms of empathy & vulnerability. Threading the nuances of grief, joy, isolation & love within the Black experience. Her embodied performance art becomes a powerful act of resistance, using the body as a vessel to challenge the colonial gaze. Channeling both known & lost ancestral knowledge through Afrofuturist pursuits, her approach engages audiences in conversations that test awareness & empathetic capabilities. sun’s work recontextualizes historical & contemporary moments, weaving together narratives of strength through her personal voice, familial recordings, current events, and popular culture. sun Lynn received a BFA in Photography from MICA & MFA in Performance from SAIC, while also holding residencies with ACRE, DCASE Chicago, Recto Verso Studios in Quebec City, Ohio University, & the Lemon Tree House in Centona, Italy. Currently a member of the Suspended Culture art collective she constantly engages in collaboration.

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About the Tanda Program
Interweaving the formats of seminars, book clubs, research groups, and tandas, Tanda is a cohort program that aids individuals with their research and practice through self-directed and collective learning. It is a program providing time and space to gather, share, think and exchange conversations, resources, and knowledge on participants’ chosen topics. Tanda is a program by Chuquimarca.

About Chuquimarca
Chuquimarca is an art library participating in the making and exchanging of art knowledge and language by gathering art books and organizing cohort-led programs. It acquires art books. It supports research through the Tanda program. It supports art writers through the Muña Art Writing Residency. Chuquimarca is based in Chicago.

Visit Chuquimarca.com/tanda for more information.

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Tags: Chuquimarca, Decolonizing Death: Lessons From Marronage Black Spirituality & Afrofuturism, sun Lynn Hunter, Tanda