Elizabeth Burden

“So, they acted as if they were free, enacted moments of liberation, tried on happiness—a doing in futurity.” —José Esteban Muñoz

“Whereas/As If” explores the radiant ordinariness of Black life at the turn of the 20th century, reimagining a paradise constructed and reclaimed through acts of joy, resistance, and communal care. By centering the everyday moments where freedom was embodied “as if” fully realized, the work interrogates and celebrates the temporal autonomy inherent in Black existence, offering a counter-narrative to the dominant histories of trauma and subjugation. It is a testament to how paradise is not only a destination but an ongoing act of creation—a space simultaneously found, lost, and reinvented.

The work draws its title and ethos from two sources: the conditionality of the Emancipation Proclamation and José Esteban Muñoz’s reflections on futurity. The Emancipation Proclamation, often heralded as a definitive moment of liberation, was in reality a document filled with stipulations and limitations, leaving freedom incomplete for many. Muñoz’s perspective, by contrast, centers on the transformative power of acting “as if” liberation has already been achieved—a performance that shapes the future through present action. Together, these ideas frame Whereas/As If as an exploration of the ways Black communities have continuously enacted and reimagined freedom despite systemic oppression.

Six Generations is situated in the future-past-present, a polytemporal space where multiple histories coexist and where Blackness is not confined by racialized, colonized, white supremacist frameworks. It is an evolving multimedia series of works using archival materials, family photos, and historical records to delve into a quintessential American story. Memorial and remembrance are central to the series: Through structured call-and-response, the artworks navigate complex themes, entwining the intricacies of emancipation, the interplay between Black abjection and resistance, and the hidden costs of so-called progress. The works serve as embodiments of temporal and affective spaces, bridging the gap between pasts, presents, and futures.

The driving force behind the creation of Six Generations lies in the exploration of archival materials and their intangible legacies. The ephemeral inheritances conveyed are not just conduits of history but also spaces of artistic speculation. The gaps and silences within the archives provide fertile ground for creative interpretation and reflection.