MONUMENTS.

For the final project of this year-long series, I partnered with Portland-based group Deep Underground to present MONUMENTS. The Earth Expedition of Sun Ra, a multimedia exhibition of film, music and art by Afrofuturist artist, musician and philosopher Sun Ra. As the critical conversation develops around the removal of public monuments across the American landscape, we ask ourselves: what are the new monuments we wish to build? Who are the artists, thinkers and heroes we wish to preserve for future generations? MONUMENTS. nominates Sun Ra as one of these visionary figures.

Sun Ra (active on Earth 1934 – 1993) was a jazz composer, musician, bandleader, teacher and poet known for his theatrical performances and personal mythology; his name references the Egyptian sun god Ra and his origin story proclaimed that he had come to Earth from Saturn. Sun Ra has been credited as one of the pioneers of Afrofuturism, a school of thinking that utilizes science fiction, music, art and political theory to propose a destiny of flourishing cultural prosperity for black people. From the mid-1950s on, he led a musical ensemble best known as The Arkestra. They were famed for their avant garde jazz compositions, dances and clothing uniting ancient Egypt with the Space Age. Sun Ra and The Arkestra were collectively dedicated to promoting peace and enlightenment through music, art and film. 

This exhibition highlights Sun Ra’s idea of an "altered destiny," a utopian belief that a more meaningful and just world awaits humanity in outer space. To Sun Ra, space was not an escapist fantasy, but a place where society, culture, and systems can be reimagined to give power to the oppressed. Sun Ra's message still resonates with many people today who embrace his philosophy and see his art as creating significant pathways for black and brown identities to develop into the future. 

Sun Ra and his collaborators left a comprehensive archive of 130 albums, as well as countless books, broadsheets, posters, paintings, photographs and articles of performance attire. Our exhibition included artifacts on loan from the University of Chicago’s Alton Abraham Collection of Sun Ra Archive, with supplemental support from private collectors and music enthusiasts. Regional artists, fabricators and designers contributed to the exhibition design, bringing Sun Ra’s world to life for PAM visitors. 

MONUMENTS. was made possible through additional support and sponsorship from Portland Garment Factory, Form.xyz Foundry and KMHD Jazz Radio. Special thanks to Eric Isaacson of Mississippi Records, whose counsel and dedication made this exhibition a reality.

“A Catalyst comes and changes everything yet it remains unchanged”

– Sun Ra, Joyful Noise, 1980