Under the Pretence of Hope

The ongoing project ‘Under the Pretense of Hope’ explores visual representations of people in protest. When we think about bodies together and what holds them there, what images come to mind? Clenched fists rising in the air; people flooding the streets with their signs and flags; people chanting with determination, rage, and passion; scenes of confrontation between people and authority figures: Moments where possibilities of our bodies acting together are exciting, and joy comes readily. In my memory of protests, there are instances of protestors__comforting me in my distress, offering a cigarette to use to help relieve the irritation caused by tear gas, letting me into their home or shop while running from the police, hugging me after going through a particularly frightening experience, resting together in the public space amid or in the aftermath of the protest—the list goes on.

The latter moments are where emotional connections are made and the ties between the protesters become enchantments rather than obligations of occupying the same space together for a common cause or against a common “enemy.” The memory of such moments becomes a resource to tap into through recollection and invocation. Preserving them revives and reaffirms the persistence we need in our collective struggles against structures designed to keep us isolated. The series of drawings in this exhibition illustrate some of these moments to contribute to our imaginaries of hope for liberated futures.