Dream of a Black Planet – Artist Talk with Shori Sims

Dream of a Black Planet

Shori Sims’ new paintings see Black people in a futuristic paradise of their own conception. Depicting Black bodies joined in joy, Sims — through highly symbolic paintings — posits what could happen if African-descended people came together now, in an act of mutual healing. Utilizing futuristic and utopian imagery, Sims paints Black people in a way that highlights their humanity.

Sims is creating work within an imagined narrative. This narrative posits a world in the not-so-far future where, having abandoned Earthly conquest in favor of intergalactic pillage, whiteness is no longer concerned with the subjugation of Blackness. Black people are left on Earth and paradise is created from the ruins of white civilization. Sims’ conception of the future is highly symbolic, and refers to the supernatural as a means to discuss historical trauma.

In their paintings, Sims presents an optimistic response to afro-pessimist thought that instead posits an inevitable afro-utopia.

About Shori Sims

Shori Sims was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1999. In their work–spanning sculpture, video, and performance–Shori seeks to excavate queer Black collective memory. Shori’s work positions itself at the intersection of past and future, interrogating past feelings and experiences to further expand, improve, and propagate the archive. Conceptually, Shori is fascinated by the line between life and death, the construction of queerness and Blackness in a future that no longer necessitates the physical body, and the Internet as a tool of queer Black reclaiming and liberation. Visually, Shori is looking to early 2000s video games, beauty supply stores, and the Internet itself as a vessel of images. Through numerous and varied methods, Shori conjures images of Black feminist utopia.

Directions and Parking

The Pittsburgh Creative Corps Gallery is in the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s pop-up park, the Backyard, located at 8th Street and Penn Avenue, Downtown.

There are several public parking garages in the vicinity of the Backyard, including the Liberty Avenue Garage and the Theater Square Garage. View a map of nearby parking HERE.

If taking public transportation, there is a bus stop at 7th Street and Penn Avenue that serves routes 13, 16, 17, 86, 87, 88, and 91. There is also a light rail stop at Wood Street Station. View a map of nearby stops HERE.