Dark Matter: Celestial Objects as Messengers of Love in These Troubled Times is a solo exhibition at Hyde Park Art Center (Chicago) by artist and designer, Folayemi (Fo) Wilson that reconsiders the power of objects to create a dynamic atmosphere for reflection, meditation, and healing On site in Gallery 1, we will be capturing the live performance of noted poet and visual artist Krista Franklin, who will present a long form poem in response to the work, accompanied by celebrated Chicago jazz musician Ben LaMar Gay. This event is free and open to the public, however we are recording live audio to be pressed on a record for the catalog release of Dark Matter: Celestial Objects as Messengers of Love in These Troubled Times.

Please respect the start time of this event and be prompt, quiet and courteous.

Fo Wilson (Folayemi) is an artist/designer, educator, independent curator and writer. Her studio practice crosses interdisciplinary boundaries between the visual art, sonic media, a regard for the handmade, a background in design and object making, and an Afrofuturist expression of blackness.

Krista Franklin is a visual artist, whose main artistic focus is collage. Her work, which addresses race, gender, and class issues, combines personal, pop-cultural, and historical imagery.

Ben LaMar Gay is a composer and cornetist who moves sound, color, and space through folkloric filters to produce electro-acoustic collages.  His unification of various styles is always in service of the narrative and never solely a display of technique. A Chicago native, Ben’s true technique is giving life to an idea while exploring and expanding on the term “Americana.”