Refreshing the Loop: Pastiche Lumumba and Kate the Cursed

Refreshing the Loop:
Pastiche Lumumba and Kate the Cursed

In their compositions, Pastiche Lumumba and Kate the Cursed spotlight images and gestures commonly associated with user interface engagement. Lumumba's animated GIFs often wink at the mundane conventions of interacting with computers, social media, and editing software. In contrast, Kate the Cursed draws from depictions of control panels and dashboards in science fiction while incorporating real oscilloscopes and CRT monitors into her process. Both artists participated in the curatorial process for this installation, each selecting resonant works from the other.

In their conversation, the artists reflect on their common backgrounds as film majors and discuss how memes and online communities have shaped their work.

Pastiche Lumumba and Kate the Cursed’s work will be on display in MoMI’s passenger elevator July 28–October 8, 2023. Learn more.

About Pastiche Lumumba and Kate the Cursed

Pastiche Lumumba is a multidisciplinary artist whose work examines cultural conventions and normalized power dynamics within the contexts of masculinity and Blackness. He has exhibited internationally as well as on the internet and his work has been featured in publications such as Art Papers, Mask Magazine, and Rhizome. Lumumba is the founder of The LOW Museum of Contemporary Culture in Atlanta, where he served as director and chief curator from 2013 to 2016. He currently lives and works in New York.

Katherina Jesek aka “Kate the Cursed” is a media artist and producer from New York. Her artwork since 2021 focuses on authentic, outdated display technology and draws inspiration from cyberpunk aesthetics. She has been exhibited for Frieze, Los Angeles, SuperRare, Miami Art Week, and the Queer Museum of Digital Art.