Memory Overture | Nadia DeLane

Nadia DeLane’s Memory Overture is a soundscape memorial documenting the impact of COVID on New Yorkers of color. This project began in 2020 as an oral history initiative and later grew to encompass a variety of documentary forms: interview, diary, memoir, music, and portraiture. In Memory Overture, DeLane explores the unique possibilities of her medium, interweaving the textures of human voices and musical instruments to form an audio collage.

Memory Overture draws strength from its community of participants. Their stories speak to the shock of isolation, the trauma of George Floyd’s murder, and the pain of bereavement, illuminating intersections between numerous crises in 2020. Memory Overture centers the experiential knowledge of Black New Yorkers. In DeLane’s words, “Our lives are often told in statistics. This project highlights the resilience of our communities and the power of voice.”