Johnny Coleman’s Art Installation Inspired by Morrison’s Beloved
by Patricia Ngnoumen

Rememory, a sound installation created by artist and Oberlin professor Johnny Coleman, is currently on view at the Here Here Gallery in Cleveland. Coleman compiled Rememory in response to Toni Morrison’s renowned novel, Beloved. The novel Beloved is a literary piece inspired by the true story of an African American woman, Margaret Gardner, who consciously attempts to kill her children rather than to submit them to a life of slavery. Beloved is a story that speaks on the atrocity of slavery, and depicts the trials and tribulations of people of African descent. In response to the book, Coleman created a piece that he calls “a gift of prayer to his daughter, Nyima.” Rememory is thus a symbol of memory and remembrance. It is the remembrance and honoring of ancestors, of history and most of all, an emblem of survival.
The installation covers an area of about 9,000 square feet, taking up the entire first floor of the Here Here Gallery. Entering the gallery from the streets of Cleveland you get the impression of stumbling into a magical field. The atmosphere in the museum is bewildering as it seems secluded from the outside world. The field becomes alive before your own eyes, as you navigate through it, listening to the assorted sounds of crickets, cicadas, birds and the ocean; these sounds create a certain sense of peace and consciousness. Corn, bales of straw and oak posts add to the pastoral feel of the exhibit.
The materials in Rememory were assembled in Ohio. Coleman affirms the importance of creating Rememory in Ohio, by explaining that Ohio is the birth place of countless black women and men who gathered their forces to fight for the liberation of black people.

Coleman explained that the piece is a crossroad between the physical and spiritual, the installation is consciously constructed to establish a link between African Americans and their ancestry. The strong presence of trees, the abundance of black-eyed peas and most of all a boat centered in the far end of the first floor, are all symbols of this connection. The trees are a physical symbol of African American ancestors — the roots being the ancestors that have passed away, and the tree being the spirit of the ancestors that watch over us. Likewise, the sound of the ocean and the display of black- eyed peas all add to the significance of the piece, both of which are familiar and dear to Coleman’s daughter. The magnitude of the ocean and the boat, signify in relation to the migration of black people from their natal land.

Coleman’s exhibit holds an important message, as it serves as a reminder of African Americans’ struggle for survival, Rememory is also a reminder to Nyima and to all, that they are not alone, and that they are loved. In the wake of all the violence that is occurring worldwide, it is a relief and a delight to be reminded of hope. By putting an emphasis on memory and remembrance, Coleman provides his audience with a sense of unity and community.