devynn emory "can anybody help me hold this body"
photos by justin katigbak
deadbird film screening through PICA
MAY 27-30 | Streaming on Demand
TICKETING INFO | $0-$20 sliding-scale donation
ACCESS | The film will include closed captions.
can anybody help me hold this body
MAY 28-30 | 12:00-4:00 PM
TICKETING INFO | $0-$20 sliding-scale donation
VISIT | PICA, 15 NE Hancock St., Portland, Or 97212, enter through San Rafael St.
ACCESS | See below for access, transportation, and Covid-19 Safety notes
ONLINE ARCHIVE | www.deadbird.land/archive
you are invited to a series of events: 1. a conversation, 2. a film, 3. a traveling collective public grief altar, and 4. an online archive of our offerings--to the deceased, to the living, to ourselves, to each other. we begin with a conversation between devynn emory and artist Okwui Okpokwasili, presented by Danspace Project on wednesday, march 31 at 4:00pm PDT / 7:00pm EDT, followed by a world premiere of deadbird the film. you’ll also be able to stream the film via PICA from may 27th through 30th.
from may 28th through 30th, you will be able to visit the public grief altar, can anybody help me hold this body, in-person at PICA’s outdoor back lot. while there, please take a photo of your offering and archive it at www.deadbird.land/archive. the audience is encouraged to engage with all aspects of this work.
with the thoughtful support of Danspace Project and the Eureka Commissions Program by Onassis USA, deadbird is a film-reimagining of a live-work by devynn emory that was initially going to premiere at Danspace Project in NYC in spring 2020. this film is a grief space for devynn’s body as a hospice / COVID-19 nurse and spirit medium, and is also a balm to reimagine care. deadbird has always served as a container to process the intensity of nursing and honor the lives of those who have passed in their care. this became even more important during COVID-19.
in collaboration with Danspace Project, Onassis USA, Bartram’s Garden, and PICA, this project expanded to a national tour with deadbird and can anybody help me hold this body being presented in New York, Philadelphia, Portland, and LA. in each location, public grief altars will be tended by a local BIPOC artist who will be honoring the land they reside on and creating space for you. in Portland, this artist is Maya Vivas. if you are not in one of the touring cities or prefer to practice differently, instructions on how to create a grief space of your own are offered online at www.deadbird.land/at-home.
deadbird has and will continue to take many forms, and serves as a container to process and bridge devynn’s work in the world as an edgewalker, spiritual guide, bodyworker, choreographer, performer, and hospice nurse.
VISIT
you are invited to honor this body lost. this body leads us to many bodies past, present, and future. can anybody help me hold this body? our grief can be holy if we let it. this altar will be tended by Maya Vivas.
friday, may 28: at 12pm the altar will be activated by Maya. you are invited to witness this ritual.
may 28 - 30: the altar will remain open from 12pm-4pm. Maya will be present to tend to the altar and all who engage it on these days.
sunday, may 30: at 4pm the altar will close. you are invited to witness this ritual.
may we insist on visualizing the accumulation of our grief and the accumulation of our ancestors as we understand that without this pause, we too will be lost. may we take a moment with our loved ones and for our own resilient living beings.
PARTICIPATE
1. please find the location of a public grief altar
2. locate a meaningful item of your selection in honor of a loved one lost, or medicine for the collective moment. you are invited to photograph the offering and upload it to the online archive before arriving at the altar
3. travel to this location
4. an altar tender will be present at the appointed times, although you are welcome to visit at any time during PICA hours
5. when you arrive at the altar, you are invited to place your item where you are called to do so.
you are invited to document your altar offerings and upload them to the archive.
LOCATION
PICA 15 NE Hancock St.: The altar will be located in PICA’s outdoor space on San Rafael Street.
Google coordinates: 2-98 NE San Rafael St, Portland, OR 97212 45.537076, -122.666192
ACCESS
The site is accessible from San Rafael street through a gate. There is a sidewalk with curb cuts leading onto a paved asphalt surface with a slight slope. Access to ADA accessible and gender-neutral bathrooms are available indoors. For questions, please contact PICA's Performance Program Coordinator Mami Takahashi at mami@pica.org.
TRANSPORTATION/NEIGHBORHOOD
PICA is located in the Boise-Eliot neighborhood of northeast Portland. We are close to bus lines 4, 6, 17, and 44. Stops for the A Loop and B Loop Streetcar are approximately 0.3 miles from our building. The nearest max station is Rose Quarter Transit Center which is approximately 0.5 miles away. On-street parking is available. Please be aware that we reside in a residential area and therefore ask that all PICA guests, staff, and audience members treat our neighborhood and neighbors, housed and unhoused, with the utmost respect.
COVID-19 SAFETY
All staff and guests over the age of 2 are required to wear a mask that meets current CDC guidelines at all times. The capacity for this outdoor space is not to exceed 25 people at a distance of at least 6 feet apart. Anyone who is experiencing or exhibiting any symptoms of Covid-19 or who has been in contact with others who are, are asked to stay home to avoid the risk of exposing others.
devynn emory "can anybody help me hold this body"
photos by justin katigbak
deadbird film screening through PICA
MAY 27-30 | Streaming on Demand
TICKETING INFO | $0-$20 sliding-scale donation
ACCESS | The film will include closed captions.
can anybody help me hold this body
MAY 28-30 | 12:00-4:00 PM
TICKETING INFO | $0-$20 sliding-scale donation
VISIT | PICA, 15 NE Hancock St., Portland, Or 97212, enter through San Rafael St.
ACCESS | See below for access, transportation, and Covid-19 Safety notes
ONLINE ARCHIVE | www.deadbird.land/archive
you are invited to a series of events: 1. a conversation, 2. a film, 3. a traveling collective public grief altar, and 4. an online archive of our offerings--to the deceased, to the living, to ourselves, to each other. we begin with a conversation between devynn emory and artist Okwui Okpokwasili, presented by Danspace Project on wednesday, march 31 at 4:00pm PDT / 7:00pm EDT, followed by a world premiere of deadbird the film. you’ll also be able to stream the film via PICA from may 27th through 30th.
from may 28th through 30th, you will be able to visit the public grief altar, can anybody help me hold this body, in-person at PICA’s outdoor back lot. while there, please take a photo of your offering and archive it at www.deadbird.land/archive. the audience is encouraged to engage with all aspects of this work.
with the thoughtful support of Danspace Project and the Eureka Commissions Program by Onassis USA, deadbird is a film-reimagining of a live-work by devynn emory that was initially going to premiere at Danspace Project in NYC in spring 2020. this film is a grief space for devynn’s body as a hospice / COVID-19 nurse and spirit medium, and is also a balm to reimagine care. deadbird has always served as a container to process the intensity of nursing and honor the lives of those who have passed in their care. this became even more important during COVID-19.
in collaboration with Danspace Project, Onassis USA, Bartram’s Garden, and PICA, this project expanded to a national tour with deadbird and can anybody help me hold this body being presented in New York, Philadelphia, Portland, and LA. in each location, public grief altars will be tended by a local BIPOC artist who will be honoring the land they reside on and creating space for you. in Portland, this artist is Maya Vivas. if you are not in one of the touring cities or prefer to practice differently, instructions on how to create a grief space of your own are offered online at www.deadbird.land/at-home.
deadbird has and will continue to take many forms, and serves as a container to process and bridge devynn’s work in the world as an edgewalker, spiritual guide, bodyworker, choreographer, performer, and hospice nurse.
VISIT
you are invited to honor this body lost. this body leads us to many bodies past, present, and future. can anybody help me hold this body? our grief can be holy if we let it. this altar will be tended by Maya Vivas.
friday, may 28: at 12pm the altar will be activated by Maya. you are invited to witness this ritual.
may 28 - 30: the altar will remain open from 12pm-4pm. Maya will be present to tend to the altar and all who engage it on these days.
sunday, may 30: at 4pm the altar will close. you are invited to witness this ritual.
may we insist on visualizing the accumulation of our grief and the accumulation of our ancestors as we understand that without this pause, we too will be lost. may we take a moment with our loved ones and for our own resilient living beings.
PARTICIPATE
1. please find the location of a public grief altar
2. locate a meaningful item of your selection in honor of a loved one lost, or medicine for the collective moment. you are invited to photograph the offering and upload it to the online archive before arriving at the altar
3. travel to this location
4. an altar tender will be present at the appointed times, although you are welcome to visit at any time during PICA hours
5. when you arrive at the altar, you are invited to place your item where you are called to do so.
you are invited to document your altar offerings and upload them to the archive.
LOCATION
PICA 15 NE Hancock St.: The altar will be located in PICA’s outdoor space on San Rafael Street.
Google coordinates: 2-98 NE San Rafael St, Portland, OR 97212 45.537076, -122.666192
ACCESS
The site is accessible from San Rafael street through a gate. There is a sidewalk with curb cuts leading onto a paved asphalt surface with a slight slope. Access to ADA accessible and gender-neutral bathrooms are available indoors. For questions, please contact PICA's Performance Program Coordinator Mami Takahashi at mami@pica.org.
TRANSPORTATION/NEIGHBORHOOD
PICA is located in the Boise-Eliot neighborhood of northeast Portland. We are close to bus lines 4, 6, 17, and 44. Stops for the A Loop and B Loop Streetcar are approximately 0.3 miles from our building. The nearest max station is Rose Quarter Transit Center which is approximately 0.5 miles away. On-street parking is available. Please be aware that we reside in a residential area and therefore ask that all PICA guests, staff, and audience members treat our neighborhood and neighbors, housed and unhoused, with the utmost respect.
COVID-19 SAFETY
All staff and guests over the age of 2 are required to wear a mask that meets current CDC guidelines at all times. The capacity for this outdoor space is not to exceed 25 people at a distance of at least 6 feet apart. Anyone who is experiencing or exhibiting any symptoms of Covid-19 or who has been in contact with others who are, are asked to stay home to avoid the risk of exposing others.