Closing of WE DEY x SPACE

By wedeyin | April 9, 2022

To endings and new beginnings, to letting it flow 🌊

after giving it a lot of thought we decided to close the chapter of WE DEY! Our lease ended and with the co- founders @amoakoboafo and @jayeyeye off to greener pastures and adventures, @decolonial_joy re-turning to Ayurvedic knowledge and QTI/BIPoC wellbeing we see this ending as a way to make space for new beginnings and projects! We are working on a publication that will bring together and highlight all the beautiful and powerful events, exhibitions, healing spaces and art workshops that took place since WE DEY’s birth in 2013. So there is still something to watch out for in this space 💜 We thank all of you who supported us all these years, who came to the events, who redistributed funds, who facilitated, exhibited, who danced, celebrated and held this precious space with us. We thank our xspace collective @nic_ink @fodzilla183 and our co-collaborators, official and inofficial collective members @shulames @fariscucu #estherabionaojo @bel.kamkaze @pedraxcosta @thesenses_vienna and all of you grew community with us for almost 10years! xoxo #bipocartspacevienna #qtibipoc #qtibipoccentered #bipoccentered #bipocartists #newbeginnings #bipoccommunityvienna

We would love to ask you to leave your thoughts, memories and messages here with us!! https://forms.gle/SSRDXd1CU6544zgs8

WE DEY couldn`t have been without all of you!! We are working now on a publication to archive all the beautiful events, exhibitions, meetings, selfcare days, yoga sessions, pilates, dance and movement events and sooo many other amazing happenings!! We would love for you to be part of this archive.

FUTURE x SPACE/WE DEY:

By wedeyin | November 5, 2019

As you might know, the contract for x SPACE was extended for three more years in the very last moment! To keep x SPACE going we need your support!

Taking the time to reflect on everything that has been formed in the last two years, we are planning to come back with new and adjusted offerings after a short break, in winter 2019/2020. Because organising x space has brought us a lot of joy, but also brought us close to burning out – we want to shift our focus towards individual and collective self-preservation and wellbeing.

Over the course of the last two years we facilitated and hosted over 50 events that centered Queer/Trans/Inter/Non-Binary/Femmes Black/Indigenous/People of Color!

We received a small percentage of the public funding that we applied for and it was spend entirely to keep the space running, to pay travel expenses, production costs and small fees for artists & guests who took part in the events, exhibitions, residencies.

Future x SPACE/WE DEY:

We are so grateful for all the amazing events that happened in the last 2 years, for all of you who shared your love and knowledge with us! We decided to continue x space but we will shift from public events towards smaller and more intimate sessions.

After the break x SPACE will continue to host monthly Trans*screenings and weekly Pilates Classes by Shayma and much more.

WE DEY will continue to focus it`s work on BIPoC queer/trans/inter/non-binary/women/femmes in the form of WE DEY x SPACE – shared studio spaces, events, barber pop-ups, and collaborations such as the WE DEY healing in residency.

WE DEY x SPACE will deepen the focus on individual and collective healing for BIPoCs and in order to do so we are in need of your financial support to be able to organise, host and invite local and international QTI/BIPoC healers, body practitioners and teachers!

How to support WE DEY x SPACE:

HELP US PAY OUT RENT- support us financially via monthly peer support. contact us via we.dey.in@gmail.com for more information and our bank details.

rent x space for your workshops and group meetings (pm us via fb.com/xspacevienna/

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IT HERE

Thank you!

@we_dey

WE DEY eXit Party throwback

By wedeyin | August 5, 2019

After a short break we are finally sharing pictures from our WE DEY eXit party on the 30th of April ❤

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Thanks to everyone who came through! it was so great to see all of our events and all the people who were part of our journey over the last 2 years spread all around the walls of X space! an evening full of hugs, words of care, gratitude and love 🙌🏾 thanks to everybody who co-organised, participated in the exhibitions and events that happened at #wedeyxspace thanks to everyone who helped us through out this beautiful journey-

WE SEE YOU
thanks to XANA who came all the way from London and Vienna based Mzamo of Bicha Boo Collective for playing the tunes that moved our bodies all night ❤
#bpocartspacevienna #collectivehealing #followyourdreams #qtpoc #qpoc #cutiebpoclove #letgoandgrow

WE DEY x Sophie Utikal

By wedeyin | October 7, 2017

“Threads of Selves” by Sophie Utikal

12th October- 29th October 2017 @ WE DEY x SPACE

WE DEY is proud to present Sophie Utikal’s first solo show. In her series “Threads of Selves” she transforms woven stories of her experiences and thoughts into stunning textile works. Her full body selfportraits aim to show a self confident, empowered woman of color healing herself from trauma. By tapping into generations of knowledge of textile storytelling she finds a way to release anxieties and fears while aiming to empower not only herself but other Women* of Color who share experiences of fighting back against white supremacy.

curated by Sunanda Mesquita (co-founder of WE DEY)

* * * * * * * * * * * *
VERNISSAGE: “Threads of Selves” – 12th October at 6pm
LINE UP
by Ebow
*
EXHIBITION OPENING HOURS:
(the artist will be present)
18.10- 6-9pm
19.10 6-9pm
26.10 6-9pm
*
BPoC WORKSHOP: “Stitching Stories”
22th of October 2pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/227450984451756
*
FINISSAGE:
29th October 6pm: doors open
6.30pm: Presentation of “Stitching Stories”

* * * * * * * * * * * *
Sophie Utikal (*1987 Tallahassee, Florida). Is now studying with Ashley Hans Scheirl, Gin Müller and Ruby Sircar at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. She likes to work collectively on issues related to her own experiences. Departing from her own body, she tries to translate her experiences into words and images introducing a new possible order to them. It is about the reconstruction of the self. What seemed lost? What is possible in the future?

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Accessibility Infos:X SPACE is accessible via a ramp. The ramp is 76 cm wide and the slope is 9 %. For more information please contact us!
The closest wheelchair accessible toilet is @ Café Oben, Urban-Loritz-Platz. It’s a five minutes distance.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
about WE DEY x spaceWE DEY x space is dedicated to amplify the art and culture production for and by Queer/Trans*/Inter/Black People/People of ColorWE DEY x space aims to center marginalised voices, perspectives, knowledges and experiences from different diasporasWE DEY x space will host exhibitions, workshops, kitchen table talks and film screenings around the topics of decolonial art production, community, self-care, empowerment.

pics by Magdalena Fischer

Amoako Boafo solo exhibition

By wedeyin | August 21, 2017

AMOAKO BOAFO
‘Detoxing Masculinity’

22nd June – 8th July 2017
WE DEY x space

©Esther Abiona Ojo

‘Detoxing Masculinity’ presents the latest self-portrait series of Amoako Boafo in a solo exhibition. The artist presents works that continue the explorations and engagement with personal narratives in relation to collective histories, as well as materiality, and process. The large-scale oil paintings underline Amoako Boafo’s multifaceted references from the fields of literature, iconography and traditional painting, inspired by his personal quest to free himself from society‘s norms and limitations.

In Detoxing Masculinity the artists reflects on his religious upbringing, toxic notions of masculinity and his transformation to self-validation and becoming. While disrupting the white gaze onto his naked Black body with non-stereotypical representations of Black masculinity, the series can be read as journey, longing for self-love and self-care. Black self-love is revolutionary in a world, which still sees the Black male body as something to be consumed, to be hyper-sexualized and at the same time something to be afraid of.

Sunanda Mesquita
curator/co-founder of WE DEY

WE DEY x space

By wedeyin | August 21, 2017

WE DEY x space is a self – organised art space in Vienna dedicated to amplify the art and culture production of Queer/Trans*/Inter/Black People/People of Color. WE DEY aims to centre marginalised voices, perspectives, knowledge(s) and experiences from different Diasporas. WE DEY x space hosts exhibitions, workshops, kitchen table talks and film screenings around the topics of decolonial art production, community, self-care and empowerment.

WE DEY 2017

By wedeyin | February 3, 2016

WE DEY starts fresh in 2017! Please stay tuned for exciting projects and events that are coming up soon!

WE DEY show

By wedeyin | December 29, 2015

11.01.2016: 19.00 Vernissage WUK Projectraum (www.wuk.at)
Währinger Str. 59, 1090 Wien

“WE DEY show” with works by Amoako Boafo, Sunanda Mesquita, Belinda Kazeem, Verena Melgarejo Weinandt, Stephanie Misa, Darkmatter & Xana. Live performance by XANA (UK) and Djane Chilo!!

Amoako Boafo and Sunanda Mesquita will present insights in their process of initiating the artist archive WE-DEY.IN as well as invite artists they met on the way to participate in a group exhibition.

During the kültürgemma stipendium the two artists founded- WE DEY, an online platform for contemporary arts. WE DEY means “we are” in pidgin – an appropriation of the colonial language English which is spoken in former British colonies such as Ghana, Nigeria and by the West African diaspora both on the continent and living abroad.

The artists Sunanda Mesquita and Amoako Boafo aim to portray contemporary Black Artists and Artists of Colour based in Austria and abroad, creating a platform which enables networking and exchange.

Belinda Kazeem

By wedeyin | February 24, 2015

“Photography is an opportunity for me to engage deeply with things and it leads me to where my own vulnerabilities are.”

“As bell hooks said- theory healed me. Reading theory that is about me and that speaks to me. But from a certain point onwards it wasn’t enough for me.”

“Photography is a possibility to concentrate on one thing, to engage in artistic research that doesn’t need to be scientific research, that let’s me think on a much broader spectrum…”

The full interview will be coming up very soon- keep watching this space!