The video essay weighs in on the struggle against oppression and how African-Americans are forced to endure this.
During the reading break, I had the opportunity to visit Montréal and view Arthur Jafa’s “Love is the Message, the Message is Death, 2016” at the Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal. “Love is the Message” is a video essay that has been featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, LACMA, and the High Museum of Art. I first became aware of Jafa’s work through his directing role for Solange Knowles’ “Cranes in the Sky” music video, but for many years he has been recognized for his artistry, cinematography, and numerous collaborations with artists such as Stanley Kubrick, Spike Lee, and Jay-Z.
With respect to his broader work, Jafa intends to “force cinema to respond to the existential, political and spiritual dimensions of who we [as African Americans] are as a people.” “Love is the Message” fully embodies this vision. Over seven and a half minutes, this video essay serves as an immersive experience that includes archival tapes of the civil rights movement contrasted with contemporary dash-cam footage of brutal police violence. This piece also includes images of landmark pop culture events, sports and viral Youtube clips, as well as some footage from the artist’s personal life, like his daughter’s wedding. Interspersed through these images is a close-up shot of the sun invoking, in Jafa’s own words, the “cosmological” nature of the struggle against oppression. All of these images and video clips are set to Kanye West’s gospel-inspired hit track “Ultralight Beam.” The track works to perfectly synchronize to the highs and lows of these triumphant and devastating clips. The end result is a stirring piece that explores the complexity of the experience of “black-ness” in America.
“Love is the Message” was installed at the Musée in honour of Black History Month. Its installation served as a striking reminder that, while much progress has been made, anti-black racism and violence continue to persist. While Jafa’s piece focused on the African- American experience, Canada itself has had a long-standing history of violence against African- Canadians from the legacy of Africville in Nova Scotia, the gentrification of Hogan’s Alley in Vancouver, and the only recently defunct practice of “carding” on the streets of Toronto. Closer still to home, at Osgoode, are the incidences of anti-black racism as outlined in BLSA’s 2018 report, including the vandalism of posters commemorating Devin Clunis and Viola Desmond just two short years ago.
Jafa’s work and its display at the Musée can be read as a “call to action” to not only recognize the historical legacies of anti-black racism in Canada, but also the ongoing forms of bigotry that continue to be perpetuated. Through his art, he effectively conveys the politically charged rhetoric about anti-black racism, surveillance, and police brutality without invoking a single word or message. This produces an emotionally charged experience which resonates with every viewer. At once a triumph of black excellence and an indictment of the ongoing violence, marginalization and stereotyping, “Love is the Message” undoubtedly makes for required viewing.