Looking Back: Intergalactic Soul II feat. Marcus Kiser and Jason Woodberry
In Summer 2017, Locust Projects commissioned Charlotte-based artists Marcus Kiser and Jason Woodberry to create a new public art project based on their Afro-futuristic sci-fi collaborative project, Intergalactic Soul, part of an ongoing series that was conceived by the artists as a response to the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. As part of Locust Projects’ Art on the Move series, the project was planned for bus wraps and window vinyls on highly trafficked streets from downtown to Miami Beach and along North Miami Avenue.
Merging art and storytelling with an Afro-futurist bent, the self-identified sci-fi nerds weave futuristic themes of space travel and alien contact into a grand allegorical narrative about racial tension and empathy. The Intergalactic Soul universe tells the story of Pluto and Astro, two adolescent astronauts on a journey through the cosmos, and their adventures amid encounters with oppression, from police brutality to gentrification; they contend with the likes of Jim Crow robots and aliens with heads like white supremacist hoods. Deeply seated in the current political climate, and the shifting grounds of American civil rights from the Trans- Atlantic slave trade through the present day, Kiser and Woodbery imagine Intergalactic Soul II through the lens of their own experiences as Black American men; sharing the African-American perspective of what it means to grow up in this country.
“Being a Black male, I’ve always had a certain love for sci-fi, with its roots in social justice issues and history. Sci-fi is also strongly rooted in the imagination. I feel this combination and balance of content makes it easier to address or create much-needed conversations and to help audiences to relate to our experiences—what it’s like to be us.” – Marcus Kiser
Using the genre of science fiction as a narrative tool where they couch a powerful—but often uncomfortable—message, the artist’s draw a distinction that discrimination and oppression of all kinds should be as alien to us as the comic’s setting. Intergalactic Soul II is an expansive, sci-fi universe that takes us out into the cosmos to help us better understand these significant issues much closer to home.
The project and the September 9 opening reception were both postponed due to Hurricane Irma. We invited the artists back to Miami on September 27 for a rescheduled reception and chance to see their final project in motion. Due to the hurricane evacuations, many missed this fantastic Art on the Move project.
ABOUT LOCUST PROJECTS’ ART ON THE MOVE
Art on the Move: Intergalactic Soul (September - October 2017) was featured on the windows at Locust Projects and on Miami Beach buses traveling routes originating from downtown Miami and was made possible with support from the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council. Due to Hurricane Irma the planned month-long project was extended into October 2017.
Art on the Move is a series of specially commissioned artists’ projects in public spaces around Miami. Through this effort, new work by artists such as Nicole Eisenman, Liam Gillick, Angel Otero, Martine Sims, Ron Terada, and Agustina Woodgate has appeared on billboards, bus shelters, taxi tops, and bus backs throughout Miami-Dade County.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Marcus Kiser’s work draws inspiration from a broad range of sources ranging from classical art to comic books and graffiti. A Charlotte native, he is an artist and graphic designer who is comfortable in an equally broad range of media, from studio art to books, product design, and three-dimensional printing. His work pulls from mass media and a collective urban-based conscience, heavily influenced by current social and political issues. Kiser has recently done work with Jordan Brand and Adidas, and he is currently the creative director of orthopedic designs for UNYQ, a company that specializes in 3D-printed prosthetics and medical wearables.
Jason Woodberry is a digital illustration and mixed media artist. With a focus on software development and multimedia, Woodberry’s work has been featured in the 2014 Miami Art Basel, Jordan Hyper-tee program, hotelier La Maison Champs Elysees’ Parisian ad campaign, and more. In 2016, alongside Marcus Kiser, Woodberry was awarded a nine-month residency at the McColl Center for Art & Innovation. He has been included in the 2014/15 Arts & Science Council and Adams Outdoor Advertising ArtPop initiative. In addition to Woodberry’s fine art pursuits, his design and technical expertise is applied to his work as a developer and specialist in IT project management.
LEARN MORE
Intergalactic Soul is an ongoing project that brings science fiction and social awareness together as one. The artwork explores a cosmic sci-fi theme that’s driven by social, political and cultural undertones. Imagination meets consciousness to create an art show with a message for all to talk about and enjoy. Contact the artists at intergalacticsoulart@gmail.com
WATCH: an interview with the artists about Intergalactic Soul and their 2020 exhibition, Project LHAXX, at the The Ackland Art Museum.
Locust Projects 2017-2018 exhibitions and programs are made possible with support from: The Alvah H. and Wyline P. Chapman Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; Cowles Charitable Trust; The State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; The National Endowment for the Arts Art Works Grant; Locust Projects Exhibitionist and Significant Others Members.