On the occasion of the 10th Saint-Étienne International Design Biennale, Akoaki curated Out of Site, a 10,000-square-foot carte blanche exhibition focused on Detroit’s evolving urban condition. The project leveraged the curatorial platform to bring more than thirty Detroit-based artists, residents, and activists to the design festival in France, foregrounding the ideas, practices, and resourcefulness shaping the city from within.
The exhibition was organized around three full-scale installations, first deployed in Detroit and later reassembled in Saint-Étienne. Over the course of ten days, the installations were activated through an intensive program of performances, conversations, workshops, pop-up actions, and experimental encounters, positioning the exhibition as a living platform for exchange rather than a static display.
2017
Biennale du Design
Saint Etienne, France
Scale:
5,000 SF
Support:
Knight Foundation, the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, Ford Foundation,
Creative Many Michigan, Lear Corporation, University of Michigan Office of Research, Cité du Design, Saint Etienne International Design Biennale, Design Core Detroit
Principals:
Anya Sirota, Jean Louis Farges
Biennale Curator:
Olivier Peyricot
Design Team:
Jonathan Watkins, Sam Okolita, Patrick Ethen, Taylor Montgomery, Ian Donaldson
Production:
Jonathan Watkins, Lindsey Karasik, Sam Okolita, Patrick Ethen, Taylor Montgomery, Lindsey Karasik, Ian Donaldson, Christopher Holder, Zioma Farges-Sirota
Photography:
Anne-Laure Lechat
Catalog:
Out of Site
Video:
Link