Azikiwe Mohammed
Shared Words, Split Catfish and Sweet Tea: An Open Platform For Discussion

APRIL 9 – MAY 21, 2022

Transformer proudly presents Shared Words, Split Catfish and Sweet Tea: An Open Platform for Discussion, a site-specific installation by New York-based artist Azikiwe Mohammed for his first DC exhibition. Featuring the Auntie / Uncle Julius family – wooden sculptural figures that are a reoccurring cast throughout Mohammed’s works – as they share a meal around the dinner table, this exhibition explores concepts of togetherness, time, and dialogue.

Mohammed’s thoughtful, nuanced installations center around the experiences of Blackness in America, ultimately creating spaces for Black people to collectively engage in learning, celebration, retreat, and rest. Shared Words, Split Catfish and Sweet Tea is a continuation of Mohammed’s reflections upon Black people’s relationship to time – a scarcity and luxury for many as they navigate the responsibilities and demands of living – and presents a scenario in which the time and dedication to a communal gathering centered around food is given priority. Within the installation are depictions of common, familiar Black household items, such as a painting featuring Crystal hot sauce, and neon sculptures of collard greens and steak, that highlight the rich history of Black cuisine and culture.

Through recordings that Mohammed facilitated with his friends and family, the Auntie / Uncle Julius family share with each other stories about their days, dreams, and discussions of current events depicting the possible conversations that take place in a dinner setting. The artist extends this dinner invitation to the public, asking the DC community to contribute to these conversations, which provide a platform for historically voiceless people and communities. Sharing their own audio about their days and experiences, DC participants will help shape the dialogue, which will be added to the ongoing, durational conversation throughout the course of the exhibition. Thoughtfully taking into considerations the ongoing challenges and physical limitations that the pandemic imposes, these discussions will be available for the public to stream via FM radio.

In presenting Shared Words, Split Catfish and Sweet Tea in Washington, DC, colloquially known as the 'Chocolate City', the Auntie / Uncle Julius family serves as an analogy for thousands of households within DC’s dynamic community, and simultaneously provides a reminder as to how Black families are disrupted and separated due to policing practices and a pandemic that has disproportionately affected communities of color. Shared Words, Split Catfish and Sweet Tea: An Open Platform For Discussion, presented as part of Transformer’s 20th anniversary schedule, includes several public programs that align with Transformer’s mission of engaging and empowering the DC community through partnerships with fellow non-profit organizations.

Highlighting the vital community services of Bread for the City and N Street Village, exhibition programming includes two raffle programs, hosted by The New Davonhaime Food Bank – a traveling food bank that services a wide variety of communities. The New Davonhaime Food Bank is named for an eponymous fictitious city created by Mohammed in 2015 that imagines a self-dictated future for Black people, and currently operates as the site of community-centric actions. New Davonhaime’s name is derived from a linguistic combination of five American cities with the highest Black-population densities, as determined by census data (Birmingham, Alabama; Savannah, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; Detroit, Michigan; and Jackson, Mississippi). All raffle proceeds will be donated to Bread for the City and N Street Village. Raffle winners will receive an original sculptural artwork by Azikiwe Mohammed.

Shared Words, Split Catfish and Sweet Tea: An Open Platform For Discussion is curated by Katie Lee, Transformer’s Exhibitions and Programs Manager.

Interested in getting involved? Please consider supporting our partnering organizations in the following ways:

Subscribe to The New Davonhaime Food Bank's subscription plan

N Street Village | Get Involved: nstreetvillage.org/get-involved/
N Street Village | Volunteer: nstreetvillage.org/volunteer/

Bread for the City | Volunteer: breadforthecity.org/volunteer/
Bread for the City | Ways to Give: breadforthecity.org/give/