Het Nieuwe Instituut and International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) cordially invite you to the opening programme of the installation G/D THYSELF: Spirit Strategy On Raising Free Black Children on Saturday 25 January 2020, 19:00 - 22:00.

The installation is inspired by the short film AS TOLD TO G/D THYSELF (2019) by international artists' collective The Ummah Chroma (Terence Nance, Jenn Nkiru, Marc Thomas, Kamasi Washington, Bradford Young), and aims to provide a sacred space that will invite visitors to explore themes of metaphysical transcendence, spirituality, and self-expression.

The installation in Gallery 1 will open with an incantation and a series of rituals, dance and music performances, with members of the collective and production designer Lauri Faggioni. Architect and theorist Dele Adeyemo, and performing artists The Empress (Aissa Traore), Nash Caldera, Hermes Iyele, Otion (Guillermo Armand Blinker) and Giovanni Maisto Ferreira will contribute to the opening programme.
Over the course of the evening, the film AS TOLD TO G/D THYSELF will be screened in the Auditorium.

DJ Charmaine van Leyden (Concentric Circles) will perform a DJ set in Het Nieuwe Café.

The installation G/D THYSELF: Spirit Strategy On Raising Free Black Children is on view at Het Nieuwe Instituut from January 23rd to June 28th, 2020. It will be activated with an extensive programme of live performances, film screenings, masterclasses and talks during IFFR, from January 23rd to February 2nd, as a part of IFFR's Perspectives programme Synergetic.