Curating in Diaspora(s): Fitsum Shebeshe and Serubiri Moses in Conversation

In conjunction with the ICI exhibition States of Becoming, now on view at The Africa Center in New York, exhibition curator Fitsum Shebeshe is joined by independent curator and writer Serubiri Moses for a conversation about curatorial practice, diasporic experience, and the many ways they inspire and inform one another. Born in Ethiopia and Uganda, respectively, Shebeshe and Moses each relocated to the United States and have since curated a variety of transcontinental exhibitions and projects.

In this talk, the two examine the impacts that movement, diaspora, and assimilation have on curators, just as States of Becoming studies the effects of these same processes on artists and their work. Drawing on their own stories and scholarship, Shebeshe and Moses discuss how their personal experiences inform not only their curatorial work, but a broader intellectual discourse on identity construction in the contemporary African Diaspora.

Live ASL interpretation will be available at this event. A recording will be available after the event with closed captioning and ASL interpretation.

Credits 
 This event is co-produced with The Africa Center. It is made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with City Council. Additional support was generously provided by the ICI Board of Trustees, The Africa Center Board of Trustees and ICI Access Fund.

States of Becoming is a traveling exhibition curated by Fitsum Shebeshe and produced by Independent Curators International. It is the result of a series of programs, pioneered with the support of the Hartfield Foundation, aimed at providing opportunities to alumni of ICI’s Curatorial Intensive as they move through the stages of their career, and reflecting ICI’s commitment to fostering and championing new curatorial voices who will shape the future of the field. States of Becoming is made possible with the generous support of ICI’s Board of Trustees and International Forum. Crozier Fine Arts is the Preferred Art Logistics Partner. The presentation at The Africa Center is made possible with support generously provided by The Africa Center’s Board of Trustees and patrons.