Process as Product and the Architecture of Reciprocity.

Starting with Stedelijk

I had a great first meeting with Stedelijk Museum last week. This is one of the largest and most prominent museums in The Netherlands and perhaps Europe. All I need to say is that It features artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Karel Appel, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Marlene Dumas, Lucio Fontana, and Gilbert & George.

What's funny is that I had never heard of this museum until I discovered Tilting Axis and literally two days after my Zoom call with them, I heard them mentioned in a documentary I was watching about M.C Escher. Needless to say I'm overcome with feelings of gratitude and excitement that I have an opportunity to engage with them and perhaps even contribute to one of their publications: https://stedelijkstudies.com/ , which I will absolutely be doing if I am invited to.

So my meeting was with Charl Langvreud, Head of Research and Curatorial Studies and the Stedelijk and Tamara Klopper who recently joined their Member Research team.

Fascinating takeaways came out of this discussion, stirred up by some challenging and useful questions.

For one thing, I'm challenged to think about what the indigenous peoples and the wider Caribbean get out of the accessing of this information, the study of it, the control of the resources - who benefits the most from this study?

Another powerful thought: What is the "architecture of reparation & reciprocity"? - what are the building blocks, blueprints etc. How do we begin to re-construct this idea -

For me the question is even as fundamental as WHAT IS BEING REPAIRED? And what should that mean and what is it likely to mean.

This question, which has been in some way at the core of my recent interests. For the film produciton arm of Twin-Island Cinema, I'm producing a project called Legacy Meets Revival, which is a cinematic series on remarkable rebels of 14th-17th century St. Kitts who fought colonial subjugation with their lives. And during that research, I've been discovering so much more about the impact of colonialism on our culture and identity than I ever thought there was to know. This then leads me to the indigenous peoples who were the first to be invaded, colonised and displaced. I'm fascinated by their connection to the Africans by way of the "Maroons" in various parts of the region who then took on the baton of resistance against degradation, enslavement and diminishment of cultural legacy.

I was pointed to the work of Surinamese artist, Marcel Pinas, who I believe is exhibiting in Amsterdam right now. I hope to meet him because his work features very intersting patterns, which remind me of some petroglyphs I've seen from various indigenous groups around the region but interestingly, his inspiration, according to his site, is from "the colourful decorations that the Maroons arranged in and around their houses, which in turn reflect the colours of nature in its many, rich hues".

Check out Marcel's work at Stedelijk

Another Question: Why Europe & why architecture & design as a parameter for this research

My thoughts:

• Europe immediately began to build and create community settlements that were designed to further their ambitions for wealth and political power, and also to displace the indigenous peoples

• So Architecture and community design is one of the primary means by which Europeans began to colonise and impose themselves opon the region Through architecture and community spatial design, they were able to exploit the most from the land and the people.

• So through my study, I'd like to find the points through which European architecture and community design replaced that of the indigenous - trace this impact point so see what was lost, and what can be repaired.

• But of course, the ever-burning question of - how will this study benefit the region? Who will be the main arbiters and benefactors of the knowledge and wisdom extracted from this study.

• And for my own consideration, am I being as responsible as I can in my investigation of this culture? This is not an archeological study as much as an anthropological one - a study of a people still very much alive and working just as hard as I am to make a way in this world. How can I ensure that this isn't just another extraction of resources for the benefit of 'outsiders'?

• I have to admit this gives me some pause. Am I an outsider? Am I unwittingly exploiting something to which I have no claim? How can I stop this from happening? I don't totally know yet.
  

For one thing, I realise now that I have to expedite my consultation with the indigenous organisations around the region. I have had some casual and exploratory talks with a few people that I know personally are connected with indigenous groups through descent and association. And it was always my plan to do a formalised, documented series of consultations, visits if possible and really get close guidance from the present-day Taino.

Actually, that's one of the things I most look forward to, as it's always been my dream to visit a village, sit with the people and really connect and learn. I find their mythology so fascinating and the community spirit so enlivening. I was always struck by the accounts of the Europeans, who described them as happy and trusting and kind. I always imagined that to mean they know the secret that we're all after - the secret to happiness, love and peace.

So now, I suppose I have more than just my curiosity but an actual funded study supporting my very personal desire to learn more about their culture, and more importantly, establish a point of connection between the contemporary Caribbean and our indigenous roots, so that we don't see them as distant history but a present and significant part of our identity.

And lastly, probably one of the more exciting takeaways; they said to me that they are not so tied to what form the outcome of the study takes. Something written, some form of multimedia - whatever. They are more concerned with the process in all its true expressions. "We're interested in the messy parts of the process as well". Charl literally said, "The process is the product too".

This for me is mind-blowing. At no point in the first decade of my career can I recall someone telling me they're interested in my process. In fact, process is always something hidden away. We should almost pretend there is no process. Always show the most optimal, perfect form of a work. In fact, if some clients see too much process they begin to interfere and see what parts of the process they can remove in order to save money. Also, my field is very competitive. Everyone is a director, or a writer or a brand creative something or other. Everyone is looking to undercut and gain an edge so we can retain whatever small piece of the pie we've managed to scrape off for ourselves. So we hide process. Process is proprietary. And more importantly, process reveals my humanity. My flaws. if people knew how hard it was sometimes to write a line of copy I feel like they'd be less impressed somehow. They'd realise that it's actually something any and everyone can do and that there's nothing particularly special or singular about my work and my value. If a client saw how I struggled for days and days totally unable to deliver a brand tagline or visual concept and that the brilliant idea I'm now presenting came to me only while playing with my dog, they'd diminish the value of it entirely. For professional creatives in the Caribbean, the process should remain a mystery so we can charge what we need to charge in order to survive.

So here, these folks are encouraging me to share my process and think about it as part of the product, and I'm having palpitations ever since. But I'm leaning into the discomfort and unfamiliarity. And indeed what would my process look like as a product?

Hence, this journal. Process. As a product. Written and recorded reflections on my meetings, new findings, adjustments, mistakes, lessons, breakthroughs. The whole blasted lot. As messy as I can manage. For now I'll post these written reflections publicly, and select clips from the audio journals, which are far more raw, real and messy. Those will show my creative process in real time, as I think through problems, formulate solutions, adjust approaches and formulate new ideas. Full frontal, unedited, uncensored stream of consciousness as I work through an important academic/creative research project that also just happens to represent a turning point in my career. I'll record meetings and interviews with artists, researchers, advocates and anyone of interest that I encounter throughout this process. I'll show how every conversation, every new finding, every new input shapes the final outcome.

I'll also make available some of the resources I use to help me in my work - proposal templates, content frameworks; and formulas I use for ideation, analysis and investigation. Hopefully some of the tools and tricks that I've picked up along the way and tested for myself might be of some use to someone else.

And maybe, hopefully, through this radical honesty, this full exposure, the very opposite of my fear will happen. Appreciation instead of rejection. Freedom instead of failure.