Footnotes

If we consider the ocean as a point of departure and meeting, what does it mean if we carry the ocean with us? If all in the African diaspora are at once singular yet connected to a multiplicity of lands, identities, and cultures, can new freedom be found in thinking of oneself as part of a global community of black experience and expression?

What's Left of Us? considers the world with no seas and oceans. It is an ongoing artistic exploration of the psychic and cultural binds that connect us. The ocean occupies a distinct place in the histories of African diasporas, becoming a symbol of life and loss, death and rapture, hope and tragedy, whilst continuing to operate as a conduit for shared experiences - history left us an ocean.

When viewing the globe from this perspective, the physical connection between lands becomes apparent. However, beyond the reveal of the earth devoid of water, the erasure contains a violent aspect to it, alluding to a world devoid of Black peoples and our contributions through time - as with water Black peoples have nourished our globe through history.

The globe prompts a psychological shift toward connectivity, to see ourselves as people of movement, flowing across our world like the oceans themselves.

Born in Sierra Leone, Julianknxx is a poet, visual artist and filmmaker whose practice crosses the boundaries of written word, music and visual art. Through his practice Julianknxx explores themes of inheritance, loss, and belonging, and their effects on personal and interpersonal narratives.