We Are Gumbo: 10 Years of Afro‑Diasporic Spacemaking reanimates a decade of Gumbo, one of Toronto’s trailblazing DJ series as a living archive of community memory and cultural impact. Presented as part of the CONTACT Photography Festival, the exhibition is on view May 1–10 at OK Studios, Toronto, centering event and studio photography by Tai Bah,Yannick Anton and Yemi Adegbasan, poster art by Chinedu Ukabam, and archival artistic collaborations from BlackPowerBarbie, Ramón Charles, Mz Icar, Randell Adjei and Komi Olaf.
The show unfolds through installation, with ceiling-to-floor layered poster walls, photo‑wrapped carton stacks, looping video collages and a Polaroid memory wall. They root images within a Black Atlantic frame, facilitating cross-cultural dialogue, communal gathering, and highlighting the social life of objects and memory. Curated by Gumbo co-founders Wan and Chi, the exhibition invites visitors to add their own contributions to the archive or remix it.
Public programming includes a design workshop, artist conversations, a bring-your-own-music listening session, and to close, a live recording of Radio Gumbo featuring DJs from the extended Gumbo family. A pop-up kiosk will carry limited Gumbo merch and a curated spread of nostalgic treats. Select events are free with RSVP; others are ticketed.
