In & Out of Place
In & Out of Place by Gabrielle Civil, published by Texas Review Press in 2024, is a multifaceted exploration of identity through the lens of black feminist performance art in Mexico. This edition spans 325 pages and is presented in English. The book delves into the complexities of belonging and displacement, as Civil engages with her surroundings and the people she encounters, prompting reflections on heritage, culture, and the artistic process.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of diary entries, images, performance texts, and critical commentary that document Civil’s experiences during her 2008-2009 Fulbright fellowship project. The narrative includes interactions with unsuspecting locals, visits to significant cultural figures, and personal reflections that activate her journey as a black woman artist. By examining themes of community, culture, and identity, In & Out of Place invites readers to consider the nuances of being both in and out of place.
Official synopsis Publisher
What does it mean to be in a place and out of place at the same time? Gabrielle Civil explores this question by making black feminist performance art in Mexico. She asks unsuspecting Mexicans if they have good hair, visits legendary black expatriate artist Elizabeth Catlett, celebrates Obama’s first election with mariachis, embarks on love affairs, dresses up as a Mexican doll, and christens herself with Negrita rum. Archiving her 2008-2009 Fulbright fellowship project, In and Out of Place combines diary entries, images, performance texts, critical commentary, and current reflections. Civil explores–and expands–the parameters of her own body, artistic process, heritage, and culture. She retraces–and activates–her trajectory as a black woman artist in the world.
Innovative Prose
…
from “¿ de donde eres ?”
where are you from?
and why are you wearing a sombrero?
are you trying to go native?
are you staking a claim?
are you playing a part or a joke?
who are you here, black girl?
who do you think you are?
what gifts are you bringing?
what rights do you have?
who are your people
and where are they now?
why is your accent so funny?
what are you trying to say?
when did you get here?
how long will you stay?
what lines are you drawing?
what are you rendering?
what do you recall?
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