Friends of WORTHLESSSTUDIOS gathered at the organization’s new space in East Williamsburg to celebrate the opening of 1-800 Happy Birthday, honoring Black and Brown lives killed by police. Originally a voicemail project, now transformed into a large-scale exhibition in a 10,000 square-foot warehouse, 1-800 Happy Birthday is created by artist Mohammad Gorjestani and Even/Odd, curated by Klaudia Ofwona Draber, with artistic direction by Neil Hamamoto, and presented by arts nonprofit WORTHLESSSTUDIOS with the aim of honoring the lives of those lost too soon.
1-800 Happy Birthday was originally created in 2020 by Even/Odd founder, filmmaker, and artist Mohammad Gorjestani as an ongoing voicemail project to honor Black and Brown victims of police killings and systemic racism. The project exists online at 1800HappyBirthday.com and allows loved ones and the public to leave and listen to voicemails left on the birthdays of ‘celebrants’ - those unjustly killed. Gorjestani teamed up with WORTHLESSSTUDIOS’ Founder and Artistic Director Neil Hamamoto and Curator Klaudia Ofwona Draber, along with family members of the twelve celebrants, to bring the digital project into the physical realm in a community-accessible, large-scale exhibition. The show utilizes audio and video components, a large mural created by Art1, and personal ephemera to tell their stories.
The families of Dujuan Armstrong, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Fred Cox, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant, Xzavier Hill, Donovon Lynch, Sean Monterrosa, Tony Robinson and Mario Woods are participating in the exhibition.
Guests included Allison Glenn, Andre D. Wagner, April Hunt, Charlie Jarvis, DeVonn Francis, Hannah Traore, Kevin Claiborne, Mohammad Gorjestani and Nicole Fleetwood.
