Yessica Deira
Internship: Studio Manuel Raeder
yessicasarah@gmail.com, instagram.com/____soft_break
MOKSI: Negotiated Memory (2020) is an ongoing live performative piece in which the artist explores the private nature of analogue archives and the fast-paced outpouring of digital productions. The project intends to give Surinamese women their narratives back. By reversing the gaze to the viewer and remove power from the photographer, the power is given back to women portrayed on the images. How do they represent themselves on Instagram? Which hashtags do they use? By comparing keywords from National Archive NL to self-made hashtags I'm highlighting biases and representation of Surinamese women in institutional archives compared to DIY Instagram posts. By giving the viewer the opportunity to interact with the website, it becomes a narrative device as well as an alternative tool.
MOKSI intends to encourage the current and future continuers and consultants of the archive to speculate together about the form and interpretation.
Yessica Deira (1994) is a graphic designer, DJ and producer experimenting in re-constructing collective consciousness through design, music, film, sound and performance.
THESIS
Rhythms of Residing
This thesis tells a story of an European born-person from African descent, me. I'm reflecting on the urgency of healing, dwelling, memorising and forgetting, concerning postcolonial thinking and self-government. I feel disconnected from the country my grandparents come from because I wasn't born there plus I don't speak the language. How do I, born in Europe coming from African diaspora, deal with this process in the form of music? Is it even up to me to as a person of colour to find ways to improve postcolonial thinking? I’m researching artists that experiment with sound and visuals in order to create new narratives within post-colonialism. By analysing musical lyrics and looking at visuals, I could relate it to my knowledge in contemporary music. Perhaps developing a clearer understanding of the country and the people I originally come from. Coming from a creative background moving more and more towards my musical needs, I question if music can be a greater part in the way we use the archive as we know it now as a tool for self-knowledge.