Assembly

Rashaad Newsome is a Black queer artist from the American South preparing for the biggest show of his career. Premiering at New York’s Park Avenue Armory, Assembly is a multi-faceted exhibition blending collage and sculpture with performance, video, and artificial intelligence. The exhibition centers vogue, a global dance culture created by disenfranchised Black and Latinx queer youth in the U.S.

Rashaad retraces his own path, from his Louisiana childhood to his exploration of the early-2000s ballroom scene. He achieves success as a multi-disciplinary artist, traveling to museums around the world. Rashaad witnesses voguers worldwide, integrating regional dances into their movements, demonstrating the fluidity of the art form. Formed in resistance to racism and homophobia, vogue flourishes within new cultural contexts.

Rehearsals for Assembly unite performers from Brazil, Japan, Senegal, and Ukraine, dancing alongside the descendants of legendary voguers. The work also incorporates a 30-foot tall non-binary AI named Being, who takes the form of an Afro-futurist cyborg and leads audiences in contemplation, movement, and dialogue. Rashaad’s artistic vision confronts patriarchy, imperialism, and white supremacy and inspires patrons to envision a more equitable future together.

Amidst this merging of humanity and technology, challenges arise. As opening night nears, COVID-19 forces some performers into quarantine, while others struggle with personal issues. Despite this, Rashaad and his team forge on, transforming the 55,000-square foot hall through video projections, holograms, and dynamic collaborations between dancers and musicians.