Critical: 1 exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation critical thinking 2 including variant readings and scholarly emendations a critical edition of, relating to, or being a turning point or specially important juncture a critical phase 3 Indispensable, vital
Confabulation: 1 to talk informally: CHAT 2 to hold a discussion: CONFER 3 to fill in gaps in memory by fabrication
Source - Merriam Webster
A critical Confabulation is a tool, and a method to evaluate stories from the past.
The term critical confabulation, coined by the scholar Saidiyah Hartman has evolved to consider the space of possibility that exists in the gaps of historical narratives. The silences in the space in between are the ones that create the space for the griots, the time-traveling, and the imagination of understanding the past to make sense of the present and inform the future.
The CoLab at Towson University is seeking artists to participate in a one-day public art happening on May 14, 2022, from 6-9 pm outside of the East Towson Carver Community Center.
Critical Confabulations is a mixed media art event that will circle around the questions that consider how the past impacts the present. Musicians, dancers, visual artists, theater artists, video artists, and mixed media artists will be asked to respond to a series of questions including but not limited to: How can we remember the stories that are intentionally ignored? How do we reconcile a toxic past to build a more healthy future?
Historic East Towson is the center of the landscape of this art happening. With this center point, we will create a moment, a happening, an evening of art to remember outside of the mistakes and errors of the construction of the story of the past in the region.
This local story is connected to the global story. From imminent domain to settler colonialism, the ways that power takes control of land and dominates the story of that land is part of the ongoing project that started with the construction of time zones in the 18th century.
Memories of Black and Indigenous peoples are often bulldozed over, erased, and intentionally ignored. While historical memories of people in power remain intact and unscathed.
This call is open to Towson University Graduate students, faculty, staff, and all members of the greater Baltimore, Maryland community to create new work or present old work that was made in response to the true stories of East Towson. Six selected artists will receive an honorarium of $500 to participate in the project.
DEADLINE For Submission
March 20, 2022
PROJECT TIMELINE
March 27, 2022 Applicants will be notified of selection.
April 1, 2022, All selected artists will receive historical research
April - May 2022 Individual meetings with curators
May 1, 2022, All artists must complete the work for public display
May 14th, 2022 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Critical Confabulations at the East Towson Carver Community Center
May 14th will be an evening where stories of historic east Towson will be told through creative interpretations. From music to theater, to video projects, artists of many media will develop a creative space that honors and uplifts the African American community in the blocks that are often overlooked.