Gallery Talks
Opening Reception for A Repository of Black Knowledge
With the creation of the Yale Black Architecture Alumni Group (YBAA) this fall, the connection between black students and alums has been strengthened and brought to the forefront at YSOA. As we interacted with our alumni, it became evident that they had a rich and interconnected network that pre-existed the group’s founding. In these meetings with alumni, they energetically shared their experiences, expertise, and passions. This open environment for knowledge transfer has existed exclusively in virtual spaces until now. Through the exhibition, we aim to highlight and honor this reciprocal relationship. With these observations, the exhibition strives to create a Repository of Black Knowledge. In practice, the exhibition gives physical space for open dialogue between people in the architecture field. The repository is a physical manifestation of black architects’ culminated knowledge and experiences across YSOA’s history. In tracing the timeline (color line) of blackness at YSOA, a tapestry of divergent focuses, mediums, and periods will coalesce in a central vessel that collects auditory snippets from black alumni. This central vessel is a costume table where snippets from alumni interviews can be listened to and interacted with. In tracing this history of blackness at YSOA, the exhibition attempts to look to the past and project into potential black futures.
