Join us for the Flint premiere of “Tunde Olaniran: Made a Universe,” presented by the Mott-Warsh Collection and Cranbrook Art Museum at MW Gallery in Downtown Flint on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. A conversation between Tunde Olaniran, creator and director; Laura Mott, Chief Curator, Cranbrook Art Museum; and Stephanie James, Director, Curator, and Collection Educator of the Mott-Warsh Collection will follow the screening at MW Gallery in Flint, Michigan. Doors will open at 6 PM and our current exhibit, “Whatever Gets You Through the Night,” will be available for self-guided exploration. Film screening will begin at 7 PM, with discussion following immediately after.

Masks are required for this event at MW Gallery. This event is free and open to the public. Space is limited, register by filling out the registration form on Cranbrook Art Museum’s website:

https://cranbrookartmuseum.org/…/film-screening-made-a…/

For questions about this event, please contact MW Gallery by calling (810) 835-4900 or by emailing mottwarshgallery@gmail.com.

Tunde Olaniran: Made a Universe

Hailing from Flint, Michigan, Tunde Olaniran is a multi-disciplinary artist, musician, singer and performer. Beginning in 2019, Cranbrook Art Museum partnered with Olaniran to help create their most ambitious project to date—the short film and exhibition “Made a Universe.” Olaniran worked with Detroit-based artists to create the film’s scenography, costuming, and props. These elements are re-imagined in the galleries at Cranbrook Art Museum along with a screening room, offering visitors an immersive, parallel journey through Olaniran’s creative universe.

With the narrative arc of a hero’s journey, this contemporary horror film takes its inspiration from archetypes like those found in storylines from The New Mutants, an X-Men spin-off comic book series. Within this premise, the character’s often perceived weakness translates into their unique superpower. The film examines what it means to unlock your power in the face of fear and repression, and how one must unify various fragments of their psyche to connect with the world and themselves on a deeper level.

The series, shot on location throughout Detroit, is co-written, directed, and scored by Olaniran and Paige Wood, and features collaborations across artistic mediums with several multidisciplinary, award-winning artists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Ellen Rutt, Natasha Beste, Lisa Waud, Amy Fisher-Price, Emma Davis, Skyylar Taylor, Talicia Campbell, Matthew Osmon, Terra Lockhart, Rachelle Baker, and Katy Dresner.

“Tunde Olaniran: Made a Universe” will be premiering for one night only in Flint at MW Gallery, but the film and accompanying exhibit in the galleries are on view at Cranbrook Art Museum through September 25, 2022.