Antonious Bui Interview, May 14, 2020

SEGMENT SYNOPSIS: Humanities Truck fellow Naoko Wowsugi interviews artist Antonious Bui, a fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA. Antonious discusses the impact of COVID-19 and shares how, as a cultural worker, there have been a number of postponements and cancellations that have impacted the ability of fellows at the Fine Arts Work Center to work collaboratively in person. SUBJECTS: COVID-19; (Provincetown, Massachusetts)

Okay, anytime you wanna, um, do... please start.

Okay. Ah, hi there. My name is Antonious Bui. And I'm a poly-disciplinary artist currently based in Provincetown, Massachusetts during the COVID-19 pandemic. I would first like to thank my amazing friend Naoko Wowsugi for inviting me to be a part of this very necessary project. It's really great that we are archiving our collective history and memory during this time so we can learn from it in the future. Let's see. So that was the answer to the question one, and Naoko Wowsugi is a really badass artist, professor, and human, so if you don't know her already, go check out her work. Okay. Okay.

Number two, how has COVID-19 impacted you? Wow. Where does one even begin? Like mentally, professionally, communally, all of these things. Similar to many, many, many cultural workers around the world, I would say, I have experienced many postponements and cancellations with career opportunities, whether or not it's delays in residencies or cancellations of grants.... [long silence]

COVID-19 has affected my experience at the Fine Arts Work Center. So the Fine Arts Work Center is a seven month artists and writer fellowship where 20 artists and writers from all over the country and world come together to communally make. And so interacting with one another on a daily or weekly basis through readings, exhibitions, lectures, and talks is fundamental to our growth and production here. However, due to the pandemic, we have cancelled all programming. And that's really tragic because it's not only for the betterment of us, but also the community at large on Cape Cod, Boston and all surrounding areas. So all of us are losing the opportunity to learn from one another in person to experience our powerful works.

And due to the pandemic, the staff is working even harder to keep us sanitized and safe. We have been doing our part, but it's really tragic to see a fellow that you've befriended for the past seven months and not be able to hug them, to be there for them. And during this time, it's really challenging all of our abilities to understand what it means to grieve and to be present with one another. So I think that's how it's affecting us here.

I would like to thank the Fine Arts Work Center for extending our fellowship. And that has been a learning opportunity for all of us, to be able to critique institutions and to demand a more just and equitable future. So during this time, or during this fellowship, all the fellows were able to collectively advocate for a stipend increase. And we've also been able to advocate for us to stay till June 15. So many of the fellows can figure out where we're going afterwards. It was supposed to end April 30, which is pretty early on in the US's response to pandemic and that would have been way too early, way too dangerous to have 20 fellows spread across the US and the world. So I think we're all learning a lot individually, institutionally, corporately, governmentally, blah, blah, blah, all of that.

Number three, who or what has kept you going in this moment of crisis? Ah, um, definitely family, loved ones, and friends. But I think what's most inspiring is understanding that the cute for COVID-19 requires a collective movement. Each one of us are contributing towards a world of peace by doing our part, by social distancing, by following guidelines, for holding each other accountable. And I think it's a wonderful template for how we can work towards resolving other issues like the climate crisis.

Other things that have been keeping me going during this time are all of the cultural workers who are working day and night to produce articles, news updates, podcasts. I really, really enjoy 99% Invisible. Let's see, Still Processing, Food for Thought is cute, the Vs. poetry podcast. I'd like to thank every artist and writer who is working to translate their work to an accessible digital form. I've been attending lectures, poetry readings. I'm not so about the online exhibitions, I'll put that out there for the archive in history. I just don't think that's effective yet. But those are just a few things. And of course, my lovely dog Dotta, going on walks with her, with a mask, of course, and staying at least six feet away from other bitches is giving me life. Okay, I'm gonna stop.

What do you hope we were learn from this crisis? Um, I really hate the rhetoric of returning to a normal, because this normal that we talk about is dangerous, it's deadly, it's unsustainable, and it only serves the richest, the most privileged. I'm hoping during this time that we can slow down, break away from this very capitalistic timeline that we're used to, and imagine a more just future.

I'm hopeful that we recognize during this pandemic that we're not all equal. I hate this rhetoric also of like, "oh, wow, the pandemic is the equalizer." But no, it's obvious that low income families, families of color are still suffering, if not more during this time. And I think it's... I just hope that we all really continue to pay attention, to understand that collective movement is more important than ever. It's the 21st century. We have technology. Let's use it for good. And let's all continue making work. And by work, I mean fabulous art. Because I'm an artist, and Naoko's an artist, and Althea's an artist, and we're artists. Okay!