culture:LAB: Womxn in Windows / American Gurl: home—land

Join MOCA and Womxn In Windows as we celebrate the launch of American Gurl: home—land, a presentation of 6 short film works that negotiate land, diaspora and displacement from artists,, Melvonna Ballenger, Shenny De Los Angeles, Ella Ezeike, Solange Knowles, Alima Lee, and Cauleen Smith.

MOCA culture:LAB supports the production and dissemination of culture, embracing experimentation through collaboration and collective imagination. Whether forging new community partnerships with emerging groups or amplifying those who are already making significant contributions to the field, culture:LAB moves beyond the walls of the museum into the ever-evolving cultural landscape of Los Angeles to explore pathways toward artistic action and innovation informed by issues of our time.

WOMXN IN WINDOWS is a platform for the perspectives of women on culture, identity and society. What started as an annual public exhibition of women-made art films in storefront windows is now on a mission to support intergenerational and cross-cultural dialogue. WxW has been regarded by the LA Times as 'a video art show made for this moment' and by LA Weekly as 'an installation that challenges conventions of female representation'. Through the years WxW has shown the works of digital artists and filmmakers such as Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, Martine Syms, Ja'tovia Gary, Kilo Kish, Alima Lee, Christine Yuan, Yumna Al Arashi & Arshia Fatima Haq among many others.

ZEHRA ZEHRA is the Founder of Womxn in Windows, a curator, and cultural producer with over a decade's experience in the art and design world. She founded WxW in 2019 to be an ever-evolving platform that presents video-based art and film when she saw a need for more women (cis, trans, and non-binary inclusive) of diverse backgrounds to have opportunities to both show their work in public spaces and engage with one another.

KILO KISH is an interdisciplinary artist working in music, film, installation, performance and the written word. Her work is characterized by existentialism, absurdity and humor, explored through popular media formats like songs and music videos. Her work has been featured in Vogue, W Magazine, The New York Times, Pitchfork, Dazed, The Guardian, and Billboard, among others. Her films have screened at the Getty Center, The Hammer Museum, and the Museum of Image and Sound in Brazil.

This program is organized by Justen Leroy, Director of Public Programs and Community Outreach, and Alitzah Oros, Public Programming Associate, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.