The Nicholson Project Presents Antoine Williams Mythic Futures
On View June 3rd – December 10th, 2023
The Nicholson Project presents Mythic Futures, a series of four Afrofuturist public artworks, one in each quadrant of Washington, DC, created by artist Antoine Williams. Mythic Futures is an Afrofuturist and surrealist mural series that brings to life contemporary Black folklore in a moment of social, racial, and economic upheaval. These four murals serve as a site for radical Black imagining in public space as a liberated act, one that is meant to subvert an untenable status quo. Each mural features a Mythic Being, a mythological deity the artist has created that reflects contemporary Black life.
Each mural comes to life with accompanying augmented reality (AR) animation and audio components that viewers can interact with via Instagram. The animations and sound components were created by Antoine Williams in collaboration with DC-based company Capitol Interactive. Each mural has an accompanying audio piece written by Williams and performed by Jade Young. The public is encouraged to visit and engage with each mural across the City to reveal all four parts of the sound and visual elements that bring the artwork to life.
Antoine Williams is an interdisciplinary artist exploring the dynamics between the status quo and moments of subversion. His work sits at the intersection of speculative fiction, monster theory, critical Black studies, and Afro-surrealism. He received his MFA from UNC-ChapelHill and a BFA from UNC-Charlotte. Antoine has exhibited at Smack Mellon Brooklyn, Prizm Art Fair, California Museum of Photography, The Mint Museum of Art, 21c Museum, and The Nasher Museum. He has been an artist-in-residence at the Joan Mitchel Center in New Orleans, The Center for Afrofuturist Studies, Elsewhere Museum, The Hambidge Center, and The McColl Center for Art and Innovation. Williams’ was also a part of the Drawing Center viewing program. He is a recipient of the Joan Mitchell Award for Painters and Sculptors, SouthArts Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grant, the National Academy of DesignAbbey Mural Prize, and the Harpo Foundation Grant Award.
Mythic Futures is funded by DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Public Art Building Communities Grant Program, and, in part, with support from the National Academy of Design/Edwin Austin Abbey Memorial Trust Fund for Mural Painting.
Mythic Futures is made possible through the following program partners: Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners (SW Mural), Outlier Capitol (NW Mural), and Atlas Performing Arts Center (NE Mural) who are each hosting one of the artworks on their buildings.
The artworks will be on view starting June 3rd through December 10th, 2023.
Artwork locations are:
- Ayana, the Mythic Being of Culture
The Nicholson Project, 2310 Nicholson St SE, Washington, DC 20020 - Emem, the Mythic Being of Self-care
800 9th St SW, Washington, DC 20024 - Waseme, the Mythic Being of Intersectionality
2106 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001 - Tuma, the Mythic Being of Progression
Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
About The Nicholson Project
The Nicholson Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Washington, DC. Founded in 2019, The Nicholson Project is an artist residency program and exhibition space coupled with a neighborhood garden, working to support artists and serve as a creative and innovative cultural hub in Southeast DC. Our long-term vision to inspire others to use non-traditional arts-based, community-centered, projects as a pathway toward stronger, more vibrant communities. The Nicholson Project is located at 2310 Nicholson Street SE, Washington, DC 20020. More information is available at thenicholsonproject.org
Featured Image Courtesy of The Nicholson Project