Hock E Aye VI Edgar Heap of Birds and Keith Christensen: IN UNION

In Union | Installation Shots | Artist Talk moderated by Lou Cornum | e-flux podcast | Texte zur Kunst review | press release

February 11-March 24, 2023

Opening Reception: February 11, 6-9pm and Artist Talk moderated by Lou Cornum: February 11, 7:30-8:30pm
In person at Open Source Gallery or on Zoom (Meeting ID: Meeting ID: 819 6549 4708) form 7:30-8:30pm

Publications are available at the opening and at Barnes & Nobles or Amazon

Open Source Gallery presents IN UNION, a project by Hock E Aye VI Edgar Heap of Birds and Keith Christensen highlighting the native role in a union strike, union families, and environmental protests.

Most tribal communities traditionally operate as collectives, treasuring the group over the individual. This organizational method holds contemporary ties to the priorities of labor unions supporting all of the members. Through IN UNION, Hock E Aye VI Edgar Heap of Birds and Keith Christensen work collaboratively to create powerful and transformational work about the involvement of natives in labor protests, the development of union families, and the environmental protest movement.

Focusing on the Minneapolis Truckers’ Strike of 1934, a struggle that changed the course of the country, if only for a little while, IN UNION highlights native involvement in labor activism and the role of unions as leadership and protection. Connecting threads to this momentous event, Heap of Birds explores his family’s reliance on labor union support in Kansas. IN UNION draws parallels between unions and the native workers who were integral to their success, such as Ray Rainbolt and Emmanuel (Hap) Holstein, with families and tribal councils working for the greater good of the collective.

Within the installation, large banners merge the expressive and assertive monoprint letterforms of Heap of Birds with portraits and pictorial images by Christensen. Posters and informational materials, including a publication, accompany the exhibition and provide context. The publication shares insights by activist artist Mike Alewitz who knew several of the 1934 Minneapolis strike participants and features photographs by Keri Pickett, who documented the birth of the water protector movement led by Winona LaDuke, as well as related protest graphics used to confront the oil pipeline intrusion on native lands. Finally, insights by art historian Yates McKee, author of Strike Art, illuminates connections between art and activism. 

Hock E Aye VI Edgar Heap of Birds (Cheyenne name: Hock E Aye VI) is a multi-disciplinary artist. His art contributions include public art messages, large scale drawings, Neuf Series acrylic paintings, prints, and monumental porcelain enamel on steel outdoor sculpture. He lives in Oklahoma City, OK.  

Keith Christensen is an artist and designer. His work includes a focus on social justice issues. He created Game Turn, Learning from the Minneapolis Truckers’ Strike of 1934, a book and board game installation. He recently authored the book See & Say Time on his paintings. He lives in Minneapolis, MN. 

Lou Cornum (moderator of the conversation between Hock E Aye VI Edgar Heap of Birds and Keith Christensen) is a member of the Navajo Nation and also descendent from Irish-Scottish desert settlers. Born and raised in various cities and towns of Arizona, they moved to New York City in 2007 and have mostly been around ever since, except for those two years in Canada. In 2021, they completed a dissertation titled “Skin Worlds: Black and Indigenous Science Fiction Theorizing since the 1970’s”. They are an Assistant Professor of Native American Studies in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at NYU.

Find more information on the remember 1934 website.
REMEMBER 1934 is a collective organization that commemorates the great Minneapolis Truckers’ Strike of 1934. It organizes regular gatherings of social justice and labor activists, union members and strike descendants to celebrate the event and it’s relevance in current issues. The goal is to promote equity, worker self-representation.