How Tsedaye Makonnen uses textiles to map the history of the African diaspora
In short: Artist Tsedaye Makonnen transformed The Met's Africa & Byzantium exhibition into a site-specific performance. By activating her Astral Sea textiles, she and her collaborators created a processional meditation on migration, resilience, and the potential for collective action in the face of history.
In 2023, Ethiopian-American artist Tsedaye Makonnen contributed pieces from her Astral Sea series to The Met. Alongside choreographer Jasmine Hearn and other movement artists, she developed a performance titled The Need for Collective Refuge. This work explores the African diaspora during the Byzantine Era, blending spiritual and ceremonial elements with contemporary movement.
The performance was recorded on February 29, 2024, across two locations: Gallery 199 and the Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court. By merging textile design with live performance, the project examines the power of communal memory and the pursuit of a better future.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Tsedaye Makonnen – Astral Sea: The Need for Collective Refuge | MetLiveArts
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