The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) will host on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. The Necessity of Tomorrow(s): Tarana Burke and Nadya Tolokonnikova. Burke is an activist and founder of the Me Too movement and Nadya Tolokonnikovais a conceptual artist, political activist and Pussy Riot co-founder. The event will take place on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and on bmatomorrows.org.
The event begins with a performance by artist and musician Jojo Abot, followed by a conversation with Burke and Tolokonnikova moderated by Jenna Wortham, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and co-host of the newspaper’s podcast Still Processing.
The two will take questions from viewers following the interview, and the BMA will show short films from the BMA Screening Room selected by the speakers.
Launched in 2017, The Necessity of Tomorrow(s) derives its title from an essay by science fiction author Samuel Delany that argues for the role of creative speculation in making a more just future. It is presented this year in conjunction with 2020 Vision, the BMA’s initiative to highlight the achievements of female-identifying artists and leaders through its exhibitions, programs, and acquisitions.
In 2017 Tarana Burke was named, along with others from the Me Too movement, Person of the Year by Time magazine. IN 2019, she won Australia’s Sydney Peace Prize. She has developed programs to build community engagement through art for several organizations—including the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute in Alabama and Art Sanctuary in Philadelphia.
Nadya Tolokonnikova is an artist, political activist, and founding member of the feminist protest art collective Pussy Riot. They have brought attention to human rights violations in Russia and abroad, and named among the “100 Women of the World” by Time magazine in 2012.
JOJO ABOT is a nomadic interdisciplinary artist and musician who has performed at venues such as Afropunk, Radio City Music Hall, The Apollo, and Kennedy Center. Her performance is inspired by this program and The Baltimore Museum of Art’s 2020 Vision initiative celebrating female-identifying artists.
