“What Time Is It?” A Cultural and Civic Archive invites Chicago’s BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ artists, healers, and freedom fighters to examine our historic moment through the lens of global time.
“What Time Is It?” was inspired by Black organizers and philosophers Grace Lee Boggs & Jimmy Boggs. Together they visualized 3,000 years of human history on a 12 hour clock where every minute represents 50 years. Building on this model of time, they theorized that revolution as the primary driver of social change is only 5 minutes old. They advocated for “visionary organizing” rooted in re-imagining not only structures and institutions, but also ourselves and our relationships.
Founded in May 2020, by interdisciplinary artist Irina Zadov, the archive uplifts and documents Chicago’s social, political, and cultural histories through visual art and oral histories. Our creative team includes: graphic designer Jay Sath, editor and public programmer Rivka Yeker, audio producer Najee-Zaid Searcy, and interdisciplinary artist and curator Juarez Hawkins.
Exhibitions & Programs
What Time Is It? has exhibited at the Chicago Art Department (2023), Hyde Park Art Center (2021), and presented at the School of the Art Institute (2024), and First Sip Cafe (2024) in partnership with Northwester University and Axis Lab.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2024
Northwester University
2024
The University of Virginia
2023
Chicago Art Department
2023
Hyde Park Art Center
2021
Limited edition 180 page artist book featuring 20 full-color portraits and conversations painted and facilitated by Irina Zadov, designed by Jay Sath and printed by For The Birds Trapped in Airports. The book was edited by Rivka Yeker, Stepha Velednitsky, Rosie Accola, and Percy Van Ort.
Featured artists, activists, and healers include: Irina Zadov, zakkiyyah najeeba dumas o’neal, Brenda Hernandez, Sanie Yi, Fawn Pochel, Aymar Jean Christian, Benji Hart, William Estrada, Aislinn Pulley, Dave Stovall, Kamilah Rashied, avery r. young, Todd Palmer, Tracie D. Hall, Juniper Battle, Natalia Stroika, Tonika Lewis Johnson, Patricia Nguyen, Zebulon B. Hurst, and Peregrine Bermas.
What you’re about to hear is a curated selection of intimate conversations between Irina Zadov and the What Time Is It? portrait participants recorded between May 2020 and August 2023. These audio stories were lovingly produced by Najee-Zaid Searcy, transcribed by Rivka Yeker, and designed by Jay Sath.
Featured artists, activists, and healers include: Irina Zadov, zakkiyyah najeeba dumas o’neal, Brenda Hernandez, Sanie Yi, Fawn Pochel, Aymar Jean Christian, Benji Hart, William Estrada, Aislinn Pulley, Dave Stovall, Kamilah Rashied, avery r. young, Todd Palmer, Tracie D. Hall, Juniper Battle, Natalia Stroika, Tonika Lewis Johnson, Patricia Nguyen, Zebulon B. Hurst, and Peregrine Bermas.