“Blockadia is a separatist political and cultural landscape designed as an intergalactic supportive space for people of color. It is here for you to gather, learn and organize together. Please come and take care of yourself and each other. Then we can all set white supremacy on fire.”
-statement from the Intergalactic Blockadian Separatist Party, July 2016
The Blockadia Project is a long-term art project using installations, workshops, events, and created objects to create safe(r) spaces for people of color. Blockadia events are mobile and can happen in studios, galleries, homes, and other interiors. If you would like to host or collaborate with the Blockadia Project, email jfgraupera@gmail.com.
Scroll down to see past happenings!!
blockadia.sim tells the story of Blockadia, an intergalactic organizing hub run by and for people of color. blockadia.sim offers a phantasmagorical story of building the world we want, while paying homage to a real life campaign fighting for land justice and self-determination—Stadium Stompers. Check out pics from the show below and download a free artist statement/zine here!
Blockadia Lecture at the Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania on December 2, 2017. This presentation was given by Little Brown Wonder, Blockadia's Minister of Data as a part of Political My Ars!, a conference organized by the Pennsylvania Avant Garde Studies Consortium.
WE HAVE THE FUTURE was a collaboration between Josh Graupera, Katie Kaplan and Andrew Perez. The three artists fused their creative mythologies together to enhance our understandings of the imaginary as it relates to the real world around us.
"Together, we seek to create a space that is welcoming and empowering to Queer and POC individuals, where our worlds and identities often intersect. We celebrate our collaboration at a time when our people are in grave danger and hope to provide this space as a place of solace for ourselves and each other."
For this exhibition, Kaplan, Perez and Graupera undertook an experiment in collaboration, creating a cohesive installation of three separate worlds, in the interest of finding common ground, and making new connections, with each other and the public. Working in a variety of mediums, this installation included sculptures, fibers, paintings, as well as a focus on drawing and printmaking.
Check out a review of the show by Todd Stong here!
Blockadia's second installation took place in my own apartment in North Central Philadelphia. During this time, people of color were invited to spend time, reflect and study while knowing they were in a space intentionally made for them. Below are installation shots of the space.
Check out this video compiling Blockadia's set-ups in Skowhegan, ME and Philadelphia, PA. Music by Madlib.
