Star Shade, 2022 [photo by Marcel Moos]


The Sun Is The First Star

  • Year: 2022... ongoing
  • Team: Ayodamola Tanimowo Okunseinde, Yvette King, Nicole Lloyd Freedman, Jeharrah Pearl, Amir Denzel Hall, Miliaku Nwabueze
  • Role:

    Concept, Design, Technology, Fabrication

The Sun is the First Star is an instrument through which we may view “galactic explorations”. It utilizes the concept of the starshade, a technology used to block the blinding light of the sun, thus allowing telescopes to see exoplanets and plantoids orbiting a star. We expand on the concept by drawing an analogy between the hegemonic Western view of science and the blinding brightness of a star. By deploying our starshade we aim to block the blinding light of eurocentric thought and process and reveal other contexts with other truths. We are sharing the possibilities beyond what we think we know, thereby excavating histories blocked by the powers of coloniality. The starshield is the metaphorical vehicle to see what is unseen and what we have not allowed ourselves to see.

To The Stars, 2022


Star Shade, 2022 [photo by Marcel Moos]


Star Shade ⬆️

  • 2022 - Brass, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, IMU, Light Sensor, Heat Sensor, Sound Detector, Gravity Sensor

The expandable structure is made of brass, crystal, light scrim, and computational hardware. Through its collection of alternative truths gathered from space, it reveals the complexities of systems of knowledge and rejects the idea of objective ideological hegemony. The artwork provokes and inspires participants to engage with the multiplicative aspects of knowledge as a model for a more sustainable ecosystem of epistemology.

Star Shade, 2022 [photo by Marcel Moos]


Star Shade - detail, 2022 [photo by Marcel Moos]


Star Shade - detail, 2022 [photo by Marcel Moos]


Star Shade - detail, 2022 [photo by Marcel Moos]


Wo Orun ⬆️

  • 2022

Sustainable natural environments are characterized by the principle of homeostasis, meaning that balance, symbiosis, and appreciation of the roles and functions of different organisms are key towards a long-term perspective of vitality. As such, the diversity of an ecosystem is intrinsically linked to a regenerative system’s integrity and its ability to thrive and support itself through a reproduction of life. Such a view of ecological systems is ubiquitous in indiginous epistemologies and cosmologies that hold, at their core, the recognition of the equitable agency and distribution of natural processes, objects, materials, humans and non-human entities.

In contrast, it may be argued that Western epistemologies, particularly positivist ones, of science and technology are characterized by asymmetry, inequity and imbalance that feature extraction, exploitation, and most relevant in the recent context of galactic exploration: colonization as their central tenets. These violent epistemologies directly oppose the values and balance and equity necessary r to maintain life. The project calls upon the myriad of ways humans have and continue to relate to space from indigenous astronomy and myths to extinct and contemporary nation-state space endeavors. In learning from different indigenous cosmologies, how might we turn from the narrative of dominant positivist Western views of science and technology towards an appreciation of the rich diversity within the ecosystem of indigenous cosmologies?

The observatory, a cluster of sensors behind the starshield processes information about temperature, color, patterns, and elements from the penumbra. The data collected activates a live in-person installation by generating original visuals that alter the physical conditions of the exhibit,using custom built technology to trigger sensorial experiences.

This project aims to speak to people who are looking to engage in the work of building divergent futures. We hope this exhibit will inspire subjects to explore what knowledge becomes within our grasp as we explore a universe principally unknown to us and what power does that knowledge hold. At a time where other ways of being and knowing are crucial to the survival of the human species, The Sun is the First Star explores an alternative imaginary where the pursuit of knowledge exists outside of the western hegemonic structure.

Wo Orun 1, Digital Image Collage, 2022


Wo Orun 2, Digital Image Collage, 2022


Wo Orun 3, Digital Image Collage, 2022


Nye Gi's Mind ⬆️

Where Are We Goinig, 2022 - [read by Miliaku Nwabueze] - Mp3


It's Your Turn, 2022 - [read by Miliaku Nwabueze] - Mp3


The Room Her Mother Made, 2022 - [read by Miliaku Nwabueze] - Mp3