Work
Artist Statement:
Art for us is freedom; it is shared exhalation. Creating art generates a necessary sense of meaning for us in a political and economic system that encourages complacency, silence and compliance over liberation and free expression. Performance art is ritualistic and ceremonious; through our work, we hope to promote the importance of retracing forgotten rituals, as well as creating new ones that celebrate our shared essence as human beings.
Neither of us were trained to be artists. Yet, as teenagers, we both found ourselves through artistic expression; Aju through dance and song, and Molina through poems and raps. After a decade of exploring our artistic talents while pursuing other goals, we have decided to put everything we have into our art. Together, we are creating music and spoken word projects that fuse languages and genres and theatric productions that are relevant to Generation Now.
Coming from hybrid cultural backgrounds, we have both experienced feelings of inferiority, detachment, and isolation. These emotions have stemmed from external factors such as racism, disrespect and overall social ignorance, as well as internal confusion over our respective identities and senses of place in our social systems. We have found inner peace in these identity struggles; in this sense of being from nowhere in particular and everywhere all at once. We are committed to creating music and performance art that will inspire, heal, and provoke dialogue. We are working to bridge schisms and divisions among people by being as diverse, brave, and experimental in our work as artists and activists.
We want to have fun with our fans, friends, and supporters. We want to make people smile and laugh when we perform. But we are not merely entertainers. We are also educators, community activists, and youth advocates. We believe that artists have a responsibility to create art that is relevant, timely, and useful. We are committed to demanding social justice, bridging gaps, and promoting cultural exchange and dialogue through our art.
Following is some information about possible presentation objectives, themes, and formats. Molina Soleil & Aju are flexible and work with sponsors to meet program objectives.
Workshop Objectives:
- To challenge students to question their surroundings, think critically, and develop their own independent perceptions of reality.
- To create space for dialogue and free identity construction in a branded world.
- To share art that is raw and confrontational, as well as abstract and experimental.
- To demand multicultural, artistic, and democratic space in a post-9/11 world.
- To inspire young people to see beyond their reality, to see themselves as participants in a democratic society, and to think globally.
- To engage young people in complex discussions and have fun in the process
Presentation themes:
- Critical analysis of institutional structures and cycles of oppression/exploitation (i.e. Radical capitalism, racism, misogyny, objectification and commodification, homophobia, self-hate and internalized oppression)
- Peoples ability, personally and collectively, to define their own realities and create social change
- The relationship between the personal and political
- The importance of personal and collective activism at this particular point in history
- Chicano history and culture
- The Asian-American experience
- Gender roles and gender relations
- Hip-Hop’s relevance and its role in a growing global social justice movement
- Free speech and access to information
- The human element that transcends divisions, isms, and schisms
- Social justice vs. corporate models of diversity and social justice
- The intersection between race, gender, and social class and the social justice implications of daily actions and interaction with others
Presentation/performance formats:
Live music performance (45 – 75 minutes)
For music performances, Molina and Aju prefer to work with a DJ or live band. Molina and Aju can perform music sets without a DJ if necessary, mixing up music and spoken word.
Spoken Word Performance and Q&A (75 minutes)
Molina Soleil & Aju perform their poetry and lyricism, engaging the crowd in dialogue about personal, cultural, social, and political issues relevant to their artistic work. They can tailor their performance to fit a particular theme or event, including issues surrounding race, gender, social class, and historical and contemporary political issues.
Lecture (60-75 minutes)
Molina Soleil and Aju are young presenters who frequently visit colleges and universities, public schools (elementary through high school), community centers, and correctional facilities. They speak on a wide variety of diversity and social justice issues. Depending on the crowd and the sponsors’ intentions, they can offer informational and/or motivational presentations.
Workshops (1-2 hours)
Molina and Aju work with young people in small group settings. They are experienced speakers and facilitators that engage small groups in activities and discussions that provoke collective group participation. Molina Soleil & Aju can work in their artistic and literary work or focus more on academic topics, depending on the audience and the intended workshop outcomes.
