deadbird was presented by Danspace Project in NYC. starting with a conversation between devynn emory and Okwui Okpolwasili, see how it was hosted in NYC or self stream the film below on your own time.
visit the altar
april 1 - 3, 2021
you are invited to honor this body lost. this body leads us to many bodies past, present and future. can anybody help me hold this body? our grief can be holy if we let it.
at the Cement Dock on south edge of Prospect Park Lake, across from the Peristyle, Prospect Park, Brooklyn
this altar will be tended by devynn emory (Lenape/Blackfoot) and Joseph M. Pierce (Cherokee Nation).
thursday, april 1: at 12pm the altar will be activated by devynn and Joseph. you are invited to witness this ritual.
april 1 - 3: the altar will remain open to anyone from dawn to dusk. devynn and Joseph will be present to tend to the altar and all who engage it daily from 12pm-4pm.
saturday, april 3: at 4pm devynn and Joseph will close the altar. you are invited to witness this ritual as well.
may we insist on visualizing the accumulation of our grief and the accumulation of our ancestors as we understand that without this pause, we too will be lost. may we take a moment with our loved ones and for our own resilient living beings.
to participate:
- 1. please find the following map with the location of a public grief altar
2. locate a meaningful item of your selection in honor of a loved one lost, or medicine for the collective moment. you are invited to photograph this item and upload it to the online archive before arriving to the altar.
3. travel to this location
4. an altar tender will be present during the appointed times, although you are welcome to visit any time during park hours5. when you arrive to the altar, you are invited to place your item where you are called to do so.
you are invited to document your altar offerings and upload them to the archive.
archive
- accessibility information:
(1) a curb ramped entrance to the park is located on the corner of Parkside Ave and Ocean Ave, across from the Lefrak Center at Lakeside. this entrance is approximately 0.3 miles from the site location. most other paths to the site location require one to step over a 3’’ curb.
(2) there are multiple paved paths to the site location and bathrooms, all of which include some variation, cracks, gravel, and potholes. here is a more detailed park map.
(3) accessible restrooms and water fountain are located in Lefrak Center at Lakeside, approximately 0.3 miles from the site location.
(4) questions about accessibility? contact Seta: seta@danspaceproject.org, 917.671.0243 -
transit:
Subway: the Q (Parkside Ave, .3 miles from altar site), the B/Q (Church Ave, .6 miles from the altar site), and the F/G (Fort Hamilton Parkway, .7 miles from the altar site). the closest ADA-Accessible subway station is the B/Q/S Prospect Park Station, .6 miles from the altar site. there is a wheelchair accessible entrance ramp on Lincoln Road between Flatbush Ave and Ocean Ave; elevators after fare control. other nearby accessible stations include the F and G lines at Church Ave station. you can also consult this List of Accessible MTA Subway Stations or this MTA Subway Accessibility Map (PDF).Bus: the B68 (Prospect Pk SW/Greenwood Av, .4 miles from the altar site),
Car: there is a free parking lot inside Prospect Park, using the Lincoln Road and Ocean Ave entrance. the altar site is .7 miles from the parking lot. there are 4 accessible parking spaces in the lot.
Bike: there is a CitiBike docking station at Prospect Park SW @ Greenwood Ave. Site ID: 3385.06. the altar site is .5 miles from the bike dock.
click here for more information on covid safety and how to visit