TRYST ART FAIR
August 23-25, 2024

VIP Opening: Friday August 23, 4-6pm
HOURS: Saturday + Sunday (August 24-25): 12-6pm
ADDRESS: Del Amo Crossing, 21515 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503
https://www.torranceartmuseum.com/tryst

ADMISSION IS FREE

MinEastry of Postcollapse Art and Culture proudly presents a special screening of Aboma! Aboma!, an independent experimental short by Keoni K. Wright at this year’s TRYST!

Keoni K. Wright’s documentary style experimental filmmaking combines curiosity with consideration to hear the stories from the Amazonian-Caribbean nation of Suriname, which has been his home since 2017. Borrowing elements of the documentary style, Wright’s experimental films such as A Pasi Fu Romeo (2023) or ReleaseD (2019) extend what Trinh T. Minh-ha famously described as the ethics of “speaking nearby.” That is to say, rather than speaking for or explaining away the subjects of his films from the outside, Wright’s films enter into the rich spaces and histories of this tiny postcolonial nation to hear and amplify the diverse voices of people telling their stories on their own terms. From the memories of the former Maroon footsoldier recalling his part in the Surinamese civil war to the various Afro-Carribbean dance traditions described by powerful Surinamese women, Wright’s films decenter the ethno-documentarian gaze all the while inviting close-listening and collaborative learning.

Aboma! Aboma! (2023) weaves together the spirit of playfulness, brotherhood, and exploration to journey through the vast river bodies in the depths of Suriname’s tropical rainforest. The strong rapids require risk, but also trust in the water which leads the group of bushmen and snake conservationists to joyfully greet the jungle’s various animals– caimans, spiders, and snakes. Wright’s raw, unscripted journey presents the group of men paddling past the lush mangroves, joking and smoking in the darkness of the night, in search of the legendary anaconda—the queen of Amazonia. Suriname, the greenest nation on Earth, hides the world’s largest snake under its dense canopy. This experimental film defies the conventions of nature documentaries, capturing the lively spirit of the search with compassionate curiosity and an adventurous heart.

Keoni K. Wright is an experimental filmmaker and documentarian whose work primarily focuses on the Amazonian-Caribbean nation of Suriname. From intimate portraits of liberation to mystical encounters with anacondas and biopics of civil war heroes, Wright’s films explore a wide range of subjects. His work has been screened on five continents and featured as an official selection in sixteen international film festivals, including the Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival, the Toronto Black Film Festival, the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, and the Green Screen Environmental Film Festival. Additionally, his experimental films have appeared in exhibitions across Portland, Los Angeles, Arima, and Zurich. Wright was nominated for Virginia Tech University’s Cinematic Arts Awards for Decolonizing Media in 2020 and was the inaugural recipient of the For Common Good Platform Artist Residency award in Arima, Trinidad. A testicular cancer survivor, Wright lives and works in Suriname.

Aboma! Aboma! Credits: Camera: Denzel Renfurm (Suriname), First Editor: Claudio Barker (Suriname), Story Editor: Jomara Roletti (Suriname), Dum Maro Dum, Remixed by Giani Carr (Suriname), Produced and directed by Keoni K. Wright

About TRYST:
TRYST is a new international art fair and conference dedicated to artist-run spaces, collectives, and organizations. As a project of the Torrance Art Museum (TAM), TRYST addresses the growing need for opportunities that promote artistic exchange among grassroots artist organizations worldwide. This fair introduces international artists to Los Angeles, a leading center for contemporary art, connecting them with the city’s art-savvy audience, the vibrant LA arts scene, and each other. These connections create limitless networking opportunities, enabling participants to engage with one another and foster further international collaborations. The program includes talks, performances, and social events for participants. This marks the second edition of TRYST.