FREE EVENT: Astro-Black Mythology: An Introduction to Sun Ra with Dr. Marques Redd, December 10
Tuesday, December 10th
7pm EST
Sun Ra (1914-1993) is a visionary jazz musician, poet, and prophet, deeply intertwined with Afrofuturism, a cultural movement that explores the intersection of African diaspora culture with technology and the future. His persona as a cosmic being from Saturn, coupled with his elaborate mythology, challenged conventional narratives about race and identity.
Join Dr. Marques Redd as he provides an entrée into his work through an analysis of what he calls “astro-black mythology.” We will explore his innovative fusion of Egyptology, musicology, dance, religion, astronomy, physics, and much more. Sun Ra aimed to tie humanity back to that which we had originally been one, the entire sweep of the cosmos, and we will aim to understand how we can push forward his vision.
Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Dr. Marques Redd is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Rainbow Serpent, a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance Black LGBTQ+ culture through the exploration of traditional African cosmologies, multimedia art, innovative healing protocols, and emerging technologies. His Obi Mbu (The Primordial House) (2021) is an experimental dance film that presents an Igbo cosmological narrative about the creation of the world by the deities Chukwu and Eke-Nnechukwu. The sequel The Four World Ages (2023) is a live multimedia performance exploring the unfolding of human history through the Ages of Divine Unity, Separation, Civilization, and Chaos. With the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, he launched a public art collaboration entitled Playing the Cosmic Strings (2021) that features his image on a 1,200 sq. ft. billboard and draws on Igbo conceptualizations about the origin of music. He has also released Myth-Science of the Gatekeepers (2024), a series of 16 glass sculptures of Black queer ancient Egyptian deities; Blackstar Sanctuary (2024), an immersive VR film that explores an expansive temple complex dedicated to those deities; Opening the Mouth (2024), a site-specific dance performance ritually animating the Myth-Science statues; and Knowing the Evolutions of Ra (2024), a Kemetic creation text set to music.
As an art curator, Redd has organized exhibitions in many cities around the country, including Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Tampa, and Miami. He has published academic essays on the jazz musician Sun Ra and the novelist Ishmael Reed, and he has contributed exhibition essays for art institutions such as the Silver Eye Center for Photography, ClampArt, and Women of Visions. He regularly offers spiritual retreats at The Esalen Institute, including Harnessing the Power of Creation through African Ritual and Altered States: African Ritual and Sacred Art.
This event is scheduled to be hosted on Zoom. Participants will receive the event link via email on the morning of the event day. Should you encounter any issues accessing the link, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@arcane17.co for assistance. Additionally, we are pleased to inform our Members that a recording of this event will be available on our Patreon page.
Tuesday, December 10th
7pm EST
Sun Ra (1914-1993) is a visionary jazz musician, poet, and prophet, deeply intertwined with Afrofuturism, a cultural movement that explores the intersection of African diaspora culture with technology and the future. His persona as a cosmic being from Saturn, coupled with his elaborate mythology, challenged conventional narratives about race and identity.
Join Dr. Marques Redd as he provides an entrée into his work through an analysis of what he calls “astro-black mythology.” We will explore his innovative fusion of Egyptology, musicology, dance, religion, astronomy, physics, and much more. Sun Ra aimed to tie humanity back to that which we had originally been one, the entire sweep of the cosmos, and we will aim to understand how we can push forward his vision.
Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Dr. Marques Redd is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Rainbow Serpent, a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance Black LGBTQ+ culture through the exploration of traditional African cosmologies, multimedia art, innovative healing protocols, and emerging technologies. His Obi Mbu (The Primordial House) (2021) is an experimental dance film that presents an Igbo cosmological narrative about the creation of the world by the deities Chukwu and Eke-Nnechukwu. The sequel The Four World Ages (2023) is a live multimedia performance exploring the unfolding of human history through the Ages of Divine Unity, Separation, Civilization, and Chaos. With the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, he launched a public art collaboration entitled Playing the Cosmic Strings (2021) that features his image on a 1,200 sq. ft. billboard and draws on Igbo conceptualizations about the origin of music. He has also released Myth-Science of the Gatekeepers (2024), a series of 16 glass sculptures of Black queer ancient Egyptian deities; Blackstar Sanctuary (2024), an immersive VR film that explores an expansive temple complex dedicated to those deities; Opening the Mouth (2024), a site-specific dance performance ritually animating the Myth-Science statues; and Knowing the Evolutions of Ra (2024), a Kemetic creation text set to music.
As an art curator, Redd has organized exhibitions in many cities around the country, including Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Tampa, and Miami. He has published academic essays on the jazz musician Sun Ra and the novelist Ishmael Reed, and he has contributed exhibition essays for art institutions such as the Silver Eye Center for Photography, ClampArt, and Women of Visions. He regularly offers spiritual retreats at The Esalen Institute, including Harnessing the Power of Creation through African Ritual and Altered States: African Ritual and Sacred Art.
This event is scheduled to be hosted on Zoom. Participants will receive the event link via email on the morning of the event day. Should you encounter any issues accessing the link, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@arcane17.co for assistance. Additionally, we are pleased to inform our Members that a recording of this event will be available on our Patreon page.
Tuesday, December 10th
7pm EST
Sun Ra (1914-1993) is a visionary jazz musician, poet, and prophet, deeply intertwined with Afrofuturism, a cultural movement that explores the intersection of African diaspora culture with technology and the future. His persona as a cosmic being from Saturn, coupled with his elaborate mythology, challenged conventional narratives about race and identity.
Join Dr. Marques Redd as he provides an entrée into his work through an analysis of what he calls “astro-black mythology.” We will explore his innovative fusion of Egyptology, musicology, dance, religion, astronomy, physics, and much more. Sun Ra aimed to tie humanity back to that which we had originally been one, the entire sweep of the cosmos, and we will aim to understand how we can push forward his vision.
Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Dr. Marques Redd is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Rainbow Serpent, a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance Black LGBTQ+ culture through the exploration of traditional African cosmologies, multimedia art, innovative healing protocols, and emerging technologies. His Obi Mbu (The Primordial House) (2021) is an experimental dance film that presents an Igbo cosmological narrative about the creation of the world by the deities Chukwu and Eke-Nnechukwu. The sequel The Four World Ages (2023) is a live multimedia performance exploring the unfolding of human history through the Ages of Divine Unity, Separation, Civilization, and Chaos. With the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, he launched a public art collaboration entitled Playing the Cosmic Strings (2021) that features his image on a 1,200 sq. ft. billboard and draws on Igbo conceptualizations about the origin of music. He has also released Myth-Science of the Gatekeepers (2024), a series of 16 glass sculptures of Black queer ancient Egyptian deities; Blackstar Sanctuary (2024), an immersive VR film that explores an expansive temple complex dedicated to those deities; Opening the Mouth (2024), a site-specific dance performance ritually animating the Myth-Science statues; and Knowing the Evolutions of Ra (2024), a Kemetic creation text set to music.
As an art curator, Redd has organized exhibitions in many cities around the country, including Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Tampa, and Miami. He has published academic essays on the jazz musician Sun Ra and the novelist Ishmael Reed, and he has contributed exhibition essays for art institutions such as the Silver Eye Center for Photography, ClampArt, and Women of Visions. He regularly offers spiritual retreats at The Esalen Institute, including Harnessing the Power of Creation through African Ritual and Altered States: African Ritual and Sacred Art.
This event is scheduled to be hosted on Zoom. Participants will receive the event link via email on the morning of the event day. Should you encounter any issues accessing the link, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@arcane17.co for assistance. Additionally, we are pleased to inform our Members that a recording of this event will be available on our Patreon page.