Online creation
NON TRILOGY
As part of Fourth Worlds
From 01 June to 30 November 2018
Jeu de Paume – Online
Non Trilogy is part of the “Fourth Worlds” project presented by Stefanie Kiwi Menrath for the Jeu de Paume virtual space.
The transnational republic of NON is set up as a digital nation of the African Diaspora. A platform focussing on the sounds of African diaspora and Black identity, NON was created with the idea of an alternative public space confronting hegemonic power structures. « In politically charged multimedia art and joint releases with other like-minded collectives, the label’s members have built a community untethered by genre or geographic location. » Celebrating blackness and highlighting African and African-diasporic voices, NON aims to write a new kind of black history.
NON Trilogy (2018) is a « three-part compilation series framed as a ‘genome-wide association study’ of the 42 participating artists (or ‘citizens’ of NON’s transnational republic) that outlines their supposed genetic commonalities » (Max Mertens).
NON’s accompanying press release adds some mock-scientific jargon: « This large-scale genome-wide analysis in NON Citizens has extended the importance of several RBC-associated genetic loci to AAs and identified allelic heterogeneity and pleiotropy at several previously unknown genetic loci associated with blood cell traits. » The oppressive classification of individuals of different genotypes into discrete « races » was, and continues to be, practised within scientific disciplines (including physical anthropology). With the disruptive subtext of their music compilation series, NON here formulates a biting critique of the long legacy of scientific legitimizations of racism.
NON
NON is a digital nation state of the African diaspora. Co-founders Chino Amobi (Richmond, US), Congolese artist Melika Ngombe Kolongo AKA Nkisi (London) and South African performance artist Angel-Ho (Angelo Antonio Valerio) have created an experimental record label, radical art project and cross-continental social network. The platform allows listeners and members, called “NON citizens” to present their work and connect with a growing number of other NON citizens. NON´s political mission of confronting power structures that exclude black people is spread via a contingent of art forms: music, video, visuals, fashion, graphic design. With slogans such as “Exorcise the language of domination” NON fights against the silencing of black people everywhere.