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This Labor Day weekend, we cordially invite you to
visit MOCA on Saturday, September
4, to experience a live
performance of You Are Safe by J CHEN
PROJECT at 12:00 PM EDT and a live performance of In Radiance by ARKAI at 1:00 PM EDT, both commissioned for our
special exhibition Responses: Asian American Voices
Resisting the Tides of Racism.
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You Are Safe
Notes from Jessica Chen of J CHEN PROJECT
You Are Safe is a response to the current escalation in xenophobia and
bigotry targeting Asian-Americans. In 2020, hate crimes
involving AAPI victims soared in NYC. This work immerses
audiences in the uplifting voice of collective Asian
American resilience, by using the power of the body to
offer a transcendental expression of our collective
humanity. By generating awareness, amplifying stories that
go unheard, and transforming painful experiences into
something beautiful and powerful, we can take steps towards
healing. That process begins with telling our own stories
ourselves and ensuring that others hear them too.
Sound Score
Composed by Tony Yang
Costumes
Designed by Lui Konno
Performed by Hayoung Roh, Rafael Sanchez, Xiang Xu, Sumire
Ishige, Fang-Ting Yeh, Chieh Hsiung, Carl Ponce Cubero
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In Radiance Notes from Philip Sheegog and Jonathan
Miron of ARKAI In light of the
recent rise in AAPI hate crimes, we sought to write a piece
that would bring solace and healing into the world. The piece is
structured in three parts, opening with a scene of
isolation, emptiness, and confusion. It questions the
tragic violence and yearns for belonging. The second
section transforms in a resurgence of spirit and steadfast
resolve to be. We rediscover the motions and emotions of
daily life—enduring resilience, jubilant dances, and
proud dignity. The third
section emerges with a newfound radiance, illuminated
through communal healing and understanding. There is
collective care, hope, and an assurance that everything
will be all right. This musical
cycle is a representation of life’s journey in its many
forms. Through every challenge, what sustains our humanity
is the love and compassion that we give to each other.
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Responses is an offering to our country in a moment of
crisis. Chinese and Asian Americans are being blamed as the genesis
of the coronavirus and targeted in assaults across the country,
harming their bodies as well as their sense of belonging. To help
us navigate what is happening, the exhibition explores the lessons
of history and raises a collective voice against the rising tide of
anti-Asian hate and violence.
A monumental Timeline of Anti-Asian Racism in America lines the perimeter walls with historic lowlights in
the treatment of Asians and Asian Americans. Hand-painted and
inscribed by MOCA team and community members, the timeline details
events related to American imperialism in Asia, early race riots
that uprooted established immigrant communities, discriminatory
laws and policies that reinforced Asian American marginalization,
intimidation campaigns during the communist Red Scare, and
Islamophobia after 9/11, among other injustices. It culminates with
an expanded look at the past year’s spike in anti-Asian violence.
Artist Homer Shew brings these events to life with newly
commissioned murals that reflect the strength of our communities
throughout this long history.
The central Response
Wall features
submissions to MOCA’s OneWorld COVID-19
Special Collection, an initiative to document and preserve stories of
collective Asian American resilience, generosity and agency during
the pandemic. Since April 2020, we have gathered community voices
through documentary photography, video footage, original art and
music, protest signs, and social media awareness campaigns. The
projected video and soundtrack weaves together excerpts from oral
histories conducted over the past year to tell a
multi-dimensional story of the pandemic through an Asian American
lens.
We invite and encourage you to add your stories and
responses to the wall. By doing so, you can boost the healing
energy of our voices joined into a singular cry for justice.
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MOCA's institutional partner New York Chinese Cultural Center (NYCCC) is resuming their in-person classes
this fall semester! To welcome everyone back to their in-person
classes, NYCCC will have an Open House Weekend on September 11 and
12 for all to come and try out their classes at MOCA and All
Star Studios.
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The Open House Weekend will be free for all to attend!
Classes will follow the Fall semester schedule. Come meet the
teachers, catch up with old friends and make new friends!
Registration for the Open House Weekend classes is
required as space is limited. All participants must wear masks and
anyone 12 years and older must show proof of vaccination and photo
ID.
*Although the Saturday 9/11 Open House at MOCA will be
from 10 AM - 2 PM, separate registrations are required for each
class.
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Proof of Vaccine and Identification Required
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Recently, New York City launched “Key to NYC”
requirements under a Mayoral Executive Order which impacts MOCA's
staff and visitors. MOCA is requiring
all patrons ages 12 and older to provide proof that they have
received at least one vaccination dose with a vaccine
approved by the World Health Organization.
Children under 12 are not affected but must be accompanied by a
vaccinated adult.
Visitors need to present an ID matching the name on
their vaccine documentation. All patrons are also required to wear
masks while inside the museum. Vaccination requirements and venue
protocols are subject to change, be sure to check our visitor policies
for the latest information. Our top priority is the safety of
everyone who walks through our doors. We appreciate your
understanding and patience as we continue to respond to
ever-changing conditions.
Acceptable methods for providing proof of vaccination
include:
· New York State Excelsior
Pass
· NYC COVID Safe App: Android | iOS
· CDC Vaccination Card (Photo or Hard Copy)
· NYC Vaccination Record (Photo or Hard
Copy)
· A photo or hard copy of an official
vaccination record of a vaccine administered outside the United
States for one of the following vaccines: AstraZeneca/SK
Bioscience, Serum Institute of India/COVISHIELD and Vaxzevria,
Sinopharm, or Sinovac.
If you have questions regarding this new policy,
please email us at info@mocanyc.org.
Admission
The Museum offers Free
Admission For All throughout the run of the Responses
exhibition, until September 19, 2021. No reservations needed.
Museum Hours
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM: Thursday
CLOSED: Monday
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Responses: Asian American Voices Resisting
the Tides of Racism and related programs are made possible with the
generous support of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts,
Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, Art Dealers Association of
America (ADAA) Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Con Edison,
Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC)®, Stash, and
the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor
Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Special thank
you to Edward Cheng, former Director of Communications, for his tireless
contributions to the OneWorld COVID-19 Special Collection oral
histories. In gratitude for a generous gift from MacKenzie Scott,
MOCA is able to reopen the Museum and present this exhibit with
free admission for all.
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