Tavia Nyong’o, William Lampson Professor of American Studies at Yale, visited Aotearoa New Zealand as a Creative New Zealand Te Manu Ka Tau international guest, in August. Spending time in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (hosted by Artspace Aotearoa and the Office for Contemporary Art Aotearoa) and Ngāmotu New Plymouth (hosted by the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery), Tavia’s programme included studio and gallery visits, alongside meetings with curators in both locations.
Events
In Auckland, Tavia gave a public lecture, What is a queer Ancestor? Lessons from Audre Lorde and James Baldwin, introducing his curatorial work through the lens of the Artspace Aotearoa 2024 annual question “do I need territory?” Considering the territory of creative inheritance and relationship, this lecture explored the idea of queer ancestry and the prospects of being a “good ancestor.” It reflected upon the process of memorialising the dead and the risks of secular sainthood. The lecture discussed re-staging a famous encounter between Audre Lorde and James Baldwin, and suggested that ancestor reverence might obscure the productive aspects of conflict in shaping queer history.
Biography
Tavia Nyong’o is the William Lampson Professor of American Studies at Yale. His books include The Amalgamation Waltz: Race, Performance, and the Ruses of Memory (University of Minnesota Press, 2009) and Afro-Fabulations: The Queer Drama of Black Life (New York University Press, 2018). His current research interests include: the performative turn in museum curation; racial and sexual dissidence in art and culture; and the cultural history of digital technology. He is currently completing a short introduction to afrofuturism under contract with the series American Studies Now (University of California Press). Since 2021, Nyong’o has curated public programs at the Park Avenue Armory.
Partners and Supporters
Tavia Nyong’o visited Aotearoa New Zealand as part of Creative New Zealand’s Te Manu Ka Tau international visitors programme, delivered through a partnership between Artspace Aotearoa and Office for Contemporary Art Aotearoa, with generous support from Creative New Zealand, Sonja and Glenn Hawkins, Lenore West and Nim Flora Chan.