”I Hope This Helps has a dynamic arrangement that invites viewers to navigate the space, sometimes encountering each Standard closer for a more intimate experience, and at other times, drawing them forward with a sense of anticipation.” - Samiya Bashir
I Hope This Helps is a solo multimedia exhibition featuring multi-sensory poetic installations by Harlem-based artist, Samiya Bashir. Featuring 20 works developed in 20 Standards, I Hope This Helps explores the complexities of human interaction and engages with critical issues impacting our society. As the world grapples with profound change, I Hope This Helps evokes shared experiences of upheaval, displacement, and the relentless pursuit of hope amidst uncertainty.
Through the intersection of text, sound, and video, I Hope This Helps offers a non-linear approach that encourages viewers to engage with each Standard independently. Fabrics will be suspended throughout the exhibition in varying heights, creating a flowing pathway that guides the audience through the works. Rather than building meaning sequentially, each piece challenges conventional notions of accessibility and confronts hierarchies, creating a safe space for controversial conversations that are often relegated to therapy or theory. Bashir’s works will invite visitors into an internal dialogue to provoke erosive emotions outside of more limiting “standard” frameworks.
I Hope This Helps is curated by Favour Ritaro, Curatorial Projects Consultant. The exhibition is made possible at The Africa Center with support of NYSCA & Sculpture Space.
On view at The Africa Center, 18 May - 31 July, 2024.
