Minnesota

Guerilla Light: Illuminating the Night with Abolitionist Dreams

The inspiration for this project came from the desire to push conversations around youth disenfranchisement and illuminate facts around Black and Indigenous youth incarceration.

Minneapolis-Saint Paul

January 2023

As someone who comes from Minneapolis it was evident how youth of color are often not given resources to be successful.” —Con Rice

My artwork often fights against the criminalization of the Black identity and colonization, which has led me to work on projects centered on abolition. With the arrival of Performing Statistics’ ‘No Kids In Prison’ show to the Twin Cities I was able to utilize my guerilla projecting experience to shed light on serious societal failings locally. The projections feature ancient symbols and imagery that is taken from the Black diaspora as well as statistics that highlight disparities within Minnesota schools. The six locations that featured the projections were selected for their history of disenfranchisement and unjust policies towards youth of color.

The project’s statistics were provided through the collaboration and research of the Lupita Herrera, Community Strategy Program Director at Legal Rights Center and Caelyn Steele the Campaign Lead at End Youth Prisons MN. Additionally the two-day project was made possible with assistance from artists Ricki Williams and Sabrina Ford. Through direct action and art this project seeks to further proliferate the conversations around real justice and a free society for all.

Credits

  • Lead Artist/Project text
    Con Rice
  • Research and supporting collaboration
    Lupita Herrera, Community Strategy Program Director at Legal Rights Center, Caelyn Steele, Campaign Lead at End Youth Prisons MN
  • Projection collaboration and direction
    Ricki Williams and Sabrina Ford
  • Documentation of projections
    Mark Strandquist

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