Photo Credit: Human Flower Productions
Torture Island: Past, Present, Future
The Rikers Public Memory Project (RPMP) was founded in 2018 to illuminate the lived experiences of individuals most impacted by Rikers Island, mobilize efforts to repair generational harm, and challenge dehumanizing narratives surrounding incarceration.
In partnership with RPMP, Weeksville Heritage Center presents Torture Island: Past, Present, Future, an exhibition showcasing works from its ongoing initiative with Freedom Agenda, Create Forward, and the Humanities Action Lab. The exhibition features creative works by the 2024 Narrative Change Community Fellows alongside historical context and personal stories about Rikers Island, the active New York City jail complex located in the East River.
By using collective memory as a strategic tool, the exhibition seeks to advance the movement to close Rikers, mobilize efforts to address its generational harms, and counter the dehumanizing narratives about those affected by its existence. Public programming will include panel discussions, workshops, screenings, and docent-led tours.
The 2024 Narrative Change Community Fellows are Anisah Sabur Mumin (documentary), Michele Evans (sculpture), Ofia Begum Ali (photography), and Helen “Skip” Skipper (theater). The Rikers Timeline is written by Shana Russell and designed by Isaac Scott. The Portraits of Rikers series is illustrated by Medar de la Cruz in close collaboration with the featured narrators.
Save the Date:
- February 1: Exhibition Opening and 2024 Narrative Change Community Fellows presentations
- February 4: Screening of Closing the Last Penal Colony and Panel Discussion with Freedom Agenda & Tuff Art Media
- February 12: Youth Day: Understanding the History of Incarceration in NYC
- February 19: Panel Discussion: Growing up on Rikers with Confined Arts
- February 28: Oral History Collection Day
- March 1: A Festival of Healing and Community Care with Beyond Rosies and WCJA
Weeksville’s In Pursuit of Freedom, is a thought-provoking multimedia exhibition that explores the origins of one of the first free black communities in the country. This special exhibition encourages visitors to make discoveries and establish their own meaning about the significance of the pursuit of equity and social justice in america. We invite you to explore, reflect, and share findings and thoughts about community – past, present, and future.
The In Pursuit of Freedom exhibition can be viewed as part of a public tour.