Drexciya: Into the Deep

About This Event

Curated by Sierra Jeter, Drexciya offers an alternative narrative to confront the trauma of the transatlantic slave trade, transforming erasure into joy, resilience and liberation. Artists include Darrien Williamson, Ehime Ora, Johnny Draco, Kimber Greenwood, and Yasmine “Yazz” Atmore. Drexciya: Into the Deep is the first of three exhibitions in Union Hall's 2026 Rough Gems series. Drexciya: Into the Deep explores a subaqueous Afrofuturist mythology rooted in African diasporic history, music, and remembrance. The Drexciya mythos originated from the Detroit techno duo Drexciya in their 1992 album Deep Sea Dweller, unfolding through aquatic soundscapes, album art, and speculative narratives that re-imagined survival beyond historical violence. While fictional, Drexciya has inspired a very real movement: the call for an ocean memorial through immersive and visual art that honors the estimated 1.8 million Africans who perished during the Middle Passage. Despite the Atlantic Ocean being the world’s largest unmarked grave of the slave trade, no international memorial exists. Through underwater photography, archives, immersive installations, projection mapping, and mixed-media works, this exhibition brings the Drexciya mythos to life, bridging the past and present for a more liberated future. Rough Gems is Union Hall’s annual open call and collaborative curatorial program. Each year three curator/curatorial teams are selected to showcase an original and innovative exhibition in our gallery. With Rough Gems, Union Hall hopes to impact the lives of emerging artists and curators with a platform for exhibition that is inclusive, supportive, and committed to the artists we serve by paying them for exhibitions and performances.