The installation is inspired by the short film AS TOLD TO G/D THYSELF (2019) by international artists' collective The Ummah Chroma (Terence Nance, Jenn Nkiru, Marc Thomas, Kamasi Washington, Bradford Young), and aims to provide a sacred space that will invite visitors to explore themes of metaphysical transcendence, spirituality, and self-expression.  

The installation in Gallery 1 opened with an incantation and a series of rituals, dance and music performances, with members of the collective and production designer Lauri Faggioni. The incantation, conceived by architect and theorist Dele Adeyemo, becomes a thread that weaves together performances by artists The Empress (Aissa Traore), Nash Caldera, Hermes Iyele, Otion (Guillermo Armand Blinker) and Giovanni Maisto Ferreira.
Over the course of the evening, the film AS TOLD TO G/D THYSELF was screened in the Auditorium.

DJ Charmaine van Leyden (Concentric Circles) performed a DJ set in Het Nieuwe Café.

The installation G/D THYSELF: Spirit Strategy On Raising Free Black Children is on view at Het Nieuwe Instituut from January 23rd to June 28th, 2020. It will be activated with an extensive programme of live performances, film screenings, masterclasses and talks during IFFR, from January 23rd to February 2nd, as a part of IFFR's Perspectives programme Synergetic.