Photo courtesy of Yes We Cannibal.
In 1928, the Modernist Brazilian poet Oswald de Andrade published a document called Manifesto Antropófago, or the Anthropophagic Manifesto, a call for worldly propagation and continued development of Brazilian art. Its most famous metaphor, still famous in the world of contemporary art, uses old tribal traditions of cannibalism—made less literal as a way to illustrate Brazil’s history of “cannibalizing” other cultures—to symbolize cultural distinction in the wake of European post-colonial domination. If at first glance that all seems too specific and irrelevant to the non-Brazilians and non-avante-garde-artists of Baton Rouge, you may want to take a closer look at the new collective set to open this July in Mid City.
Yes We Cannibal, founded by the Chicago-hewn Fulbright artist Liz Lessner and the D.C. geographer and LSU doctoral candidate Mat Keel, is a new community institution designed to be a home for “unrestricted and non-hierarchical cultural experimentation in the areas of art, music, food, social research, performance, and more.” Whether in the form of lectures, workshops, reading groups, food events, concerts, performances, art exhibitions, or other expressions, the space at 1600 Government Street aims to be a cultural center appropriate for all ages, available at no cost to the community. Inside, a fully functioning kitchen with new appliances, an administrative area, two bathrooms, and a reading room awaits the boon of Baton Rouge’s freshest free-thinkers, nestled against the beginnings of a public garden sprouting flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The space will also rehouse the D.C.-born Sensory Engagement Lab, a free bi-weekly community technology and robotics salon designed to inspire collaboration between artists, programmers, and other kin. In the midst of COVID forcing a delayed opening—though a July date still looks bright—Lessner and Keel started an Indiegogo fundraiser to help the project spread its wings.
“The reason we wanted to start these funky community spaces is because they were so important to us growing up,” said Lessner. “When I was a teenager, there was a local artist who hosted a salon every Saturday, and that’s where we went to hang out. We didn’t see much here that wasn’t associated with LSU or other major institutions, and that’s why we’re fundraising—to help create a free space where people don’t have to pay to rent the space or join in on any events. We’d love to bring that sort of community here to Baton Rouge.”
To donate and learn more, visit indiegogo.com/projects/yes-we-cannibal-baton-rouge-louisiana#/.
