LAILA JHANÉ*

DREXCIYA

A spatial installation that places you inside Drexciya, an underwater nation imagined by the Detroit techno duo as a counter-history for the children of African women thrown from slave ships.

Step inside ↓

The Showcase

The final night has passed. On Saturday, June 27, 2026, you stepped inside the installation. Thank you to everyone who descended.

Blue light beams cutting through haze over the sand floor, hanging fabric panels, a mist fountain glowing at the center of the room. The room filling with thick white haze, a purple glow rising from the central mist fountain. Low blue light and mist, hanging dyed fabric, cushions arranged around the sand floor. The full room in blue light: hanging fabric, low seating on the sand floor, a visitor seated in the haze. Dense haze and blue light across the installation, projection surfaces glowing through the mist. An underwater projection rippling across a sheer hanging fabric panel.

How People Feel About the Installation

The dark and misty environment was perfect for the underwater experience. The sounds were exceptional and took me away to another place and time.
Amy Reyes
Nia's score really grounded me, making me forget all the surrounding noise. When it finished, I wanted to keep going, but it felt like surfacing after scuba diving.
Joe Lewis, Skylark
The room being dark made me feel like I was laying down on a beach at night and just listening to the ocean.
Elijah Morton
Very calming, almost hypnotic. The underwater, dreamlike aspect definitely came across.
Kathleen Brown, Public Art Administrator

The Collective

Laila Jhané Laila Jhané Director / Creative Technologist
Wilson Stiner Wilson Stiner Narrative
Marcus Valentino Marcus Valentino Music Supervisor
Iriamu Iriamu Musician
Nia Umoja-Khalid Nia Umoja-Khalid Sound Healer
Abdul Qadim Haqq Abdul Qadim Haqq Comic Creator
PushPush Host