We exChange

ABOUT THE PROJECT

We exChange is a three-phase, year-long collaboration inviting 12 metro Detroit visual and literary artists to explore and co-create work reimagining the meaning of change in a time of chaos — its limits and its unexpected possibilities. In each phase of the project — loosely inspired by the French surrealist art game known as exquisite corpse and the prescient words of Black science fiction writer Octavia Butler — the artists each create new works influenced by images and words from the prior phase.

The Scarab Club is proud to partner with Signal-Return to showcase the culminating works as well as an immersive audio experience designed to help the public simultaneously explore the concept of change. The suite of custom prints on display reflect the willingness of individual artists to collectively blend their ideas, approaches and work into unplanned joint creations. The exhibition also marks the first time that all 12 artists will view their works in connection with one another and as sparks for exchange with the public.

We exChange is co-directed by Signal-Return Director and visual artist Lynne Avadenka and writer Nichole M. Christian.

Participating creative contributions:
Zak Rosen, Audio Producer
adrienne maree brown, Essayist
Gabriela Baginski, Photographer

We exChange, a project of Signal-Return, is supported by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

Change Practice: Lynn Avadenka

(TRANSCRIPT)

I’m Lynn Avadenka, the Director of Signal-Return. I am the Co-Director, along with Nichole Christian, of the project that’s being exhibited here at the Scarab Club, We exChange, an assemblage of possibilities.

Stand still. Close your eyes. Imagine you are in darkness. Pick up two or three spiky sparklers. Light them, and write your name in the sky. The first letter is gone by the time you write the last.

So, to me that’s sort of emblematic of change. You start with something. You’re working as fast as you can but sometimes change is the control agent. 

Change Practice: adrienne maree brown

(TRANSCRIPT)

Change Practice.

My name is adrienne maree brown. I’m a writer.

For me the most effective way to begin a change or to turn into a change that is inevitable is to bring my attention to how I feel. Literally scan my body from the top to the bottom or race my attention to the place that feels most provoked, most agitated, most distrubed. For me, it’s often my gut. But usually by the time I reach my gut I realize my mind is also in a little bit of a loop. If I notice that, then I can notice that the loop is not me but the loop means some change is happening. And all I have to do is decide, how do I want to be in this change? And I’ve changed. And there we go. 

Change Practice: Lujine Nasralla

(TRANSCRIPT)

Change Practice

My name is Lujine Nasralla and I am a writer living in Detroit. I am trying to figure out what direction my life is heading in professionally. Been really struggling with the career that I’m currently in and trying to ask myself questions about where I want to go, who I want to be. 

When I’m in the midst of change I hold a lot of that process in my hips. It feels like it just swirls around in there for a long time and if I don’t move my body it just becomes stagnant. It kind of takes over and my body just becomes in limbo and it’s really uncomfortable. 

If you’re feeling that you’re in a moment of change or that change is around you, surrounds you, then I invite you to come into this movement practice with me and see where you are by the end of it.

So, you’re standing and we don’t really think about what we’re doing when we’re standing. Feel your hips just kind of get a little lower when you bend your knees. Keep your belly-button tucked towards your spine and your spine tucked towards your belly-button and then gently lift each one of your toes up one at a time. You could start from either end. I like to start from my big toe and then gently bringing each one of your toes back down, one at a time. You can move slow like you’re pushing them through honey. 

In the event that you’re not standing you can do this with the muscles in your face. Relax your jaw. Lift your eyebrows. Bring them back down. I always wish I could lift one eyebrow but I can’t do that. But anyway, lift your eyebrows. Bring them back down. Close your eyes if they aren’t already closed. Then open one. Open the other. Move your eyes from side to side. Feel the muscles working from the corners of your eyes to the side of your face to your forehead. Now that you’ve moved those muscles, how does it feel to use them again?

Change Practice: Justin Rogers

(TRANSCRIPT)

Change Practice with the poet, Justin Rogers.

I struggle a lot with anxiety and trying to center myself in unfamiliar situations. Something that has helped me with this is focusing on my breathing. When focusing on breathing, I've begun to notice the ways my mouth, neck, and abdomen work in tandem with breathing. 

Try this. Take in a mouthful of air and just hold it there - puffy cheeks! Imagine this air in your mouth is something you can see and follow. As you begin to breathe it in through your windpipe into your lungs, think about where this air is in your body. Exhale. Take another full deep breath. Notice how your body makes way for the air. This helps me remember that everything I allow to be stored in my body takes space in my body, even things that are invisible. What’s taking up space inside of you?

Change Practice: Kristin Palm

(TRANSCRIPT)

Change Practice.

 I’m Kristin Palm and I’m a poet.

 When I think about something that has changed me. Like, really changed me. I think about this. Apologize. Even if you don't think you are wrong. Especially if you don’t think you’re wrong. Apologize for the way the other person feels or what they experienced. Don’t fake it. Don’t just say the words. Lead with this apology. You can talk it out after. But start with, "I'm sorry."

 I’ve found that this has has transformed how I interact with people in my daily life. Well, I’m working on it transforming how I interact with people in my daily life. The few times I have had the courage to do it, it's been helpful.

Change Practice: Karianne Spens-Hanna

(TRANSCRIPT)

Change Practice.

My name is Karianne Spens-Hanna. I’m a visual artist.

As I think about change, I find comfort that our bodies are constantly in flux, healing mysteriously on their own trajectory. The entire time we are alive, we are changing. Tomorrow, you will be different than you are today, because of what you see, what you breathe, the atmosphere of your thoughts, the conversations you have, and connections you make.

You are sculpting your experience through your awareness, weaving the fabric of a moment that cannot be recreated. Be present in your body. Your ribs expand and contract, expand and contract. Inhale. Exhale. Bring your awareness to what your ribs protect. Your heart, beating. Your lungs, the sound of the air flowing in, flowing out. Let the word 'gratitude' fill the space of your breath.

Change Practice: Simone DeSousa

(TRANSCRIPT)

Hello. I’m Simone DeSousa. I’m an artist and a friend.

Ok, so somebody has just shared some ideas or thoughts with you. Instead of immediately responding...I know your mind is full of thoughts right now, you know, things to say back...ways to defeat this person and their ideas. Pause for a minute and actually pay attention to your body. 

Are you relaxed? Or are you tense? Does your stomach feel strange? Are your hands all crunched up? 

And you’re not going to respond until your inner-space is actually at peace. So, give yourself that space and then see what comes out of that. And then start practicing that in situations that pop up in your everyday life. Instead of immediately responding with your very bright, acute, awesome mind. Pause. 

Change Practice: Nichole Christian

(TRANSCRIPT)

Change Practice.

I’m Nichole Christian, Co-Director of the We exChange project.

You know the older I get, the funnier it is to me  how easily we’re led to believe you need wealth or power to make real change. Nope. it’s really about an individual willingness to be uncomfortable...to straight up resist the rote aspects of daily living. Take for example this very exhibit.  Did you naturally, reflexively start at the beginning? Why? Did you look for a recognizable name? You know it’s habit to look for the assigned meaning before searching for your own instincts. I do it too. But no set of days have to be lived the same no matter how alluring it may seem to keep it easy. That’s for sheep. Forget the known way. Forget that beloved bite. That thing you just feel good everytime you eat it. Yeah, forget that.

Find one or maybe two things right here in this room that speak deeply to you but not for normal reason or the normal love. Linger on it...longer than you normally might. See what opens when you open to ideas that habit coaxes us into dismissing. Discomfort really can be a doorway to daily discovery if we’re willing.

Change Practice: Billy Mark

(TRANSCRIPT)

Change Practice with the artist, Billy Mark. This is a score for a part of the body we normally don’t dance with...the eyes.

Take a deep breath. As you exhale, relax your eyes. And you might want to repeat that a couple times. 

When you feel centered and your eyes feel relaxed, slowly begin to move them through the space. Explore.

Find something in the room that sparks your attention. And when you find that connection bring your eyes to a stillness and allow them to simply gaze and remain in that connection of the gaze for one-minute or as long as you need, whichever comes first. Be prepared for any tensions that may arise during this minute. That’s natural. Allow yourself to breathe and remain connected. Afterwards, rub your eyes, give them a little massage and maybe even throw them a little gratitude. 

We exChange Intro

(TRANSCRIPT)

Hi. Welcome to We exChange, an assemblage of possibilities. I’m Zak Rosen and I hung up all the headphones you’re seeing around the room. I also recorded the voices inside each of the headphones.

As you meander around the exhibit, feel free to stop at any of the listening stations. Scan the QR code with your phone. If you have an iphone you’ll there are headphone adapters attached to each of the headphones.

Every listening station contains a change practice. A little exercise or meditation or thought experiment you can do to try to change, right here. Right now.

Each QR code is different. They aren’t in order. There is no order. 

The voices you’re gonna hear are some of the writers and visual artists whose work you’ll see tonight. 

Have fun!