Documentary 'Assembly' Chronicles Rashaad Newsome's Monumental Park Avenue Armory Project

A new documentary, 'Assembly,' co-directed by Rashaad Newsome and Johnny Symons, goes behind the scenes of Newsome's largest project to date at Manhattan's historic Park Avenue Armory. The film chronicles the creation of 'Assembly' (2022), a multi-experiential work combining a voguing-based pageant with global traditional dances, an AI host named Being, and a 40ft hologram. Newsome, a gay Black artist, aimed to reclaim the hegemonic space adorned with portraits of white military officers. The project involved dancers from Japan, Ukraine, Brazil, and beyond, and featured performances by Kyron EL, Maleek Washington, Kameron N. Saunders, and Omari Wiles. The AI griot, inspired by West African tradition, conducted workshops and referenced thinkers like bell hooks, Paulo Freire, Michel Foucault, and Audre Lorde. The documentary premieres on PBS's Independent Lens on June 22.