I MYSELF ‘AM THE SUN 2023 | site specific projection at Federation Square (VIC) for Gertrude Street Projection Festival

I myself 'am the sun is a site-specific projection exploring Black Queer autonomy by focusing on the body as a site of self-determination and reflection. Developed for large-scale public installation, the work engages the relationship between physical presence and metaphysical significance, emphasising personal agency in healing and identity formation.

The title draws from a phrase by Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène, providing both conceptual anchor and framework for exploring the intersections of Blackness, Queerness and visibility. Rather than centring spectacle, the film foregrounds small, embodied gestures as meaningful acts, inviting reflection on how ordinary moments become monuments of personal and political significance.

I myself 'am the sun has been exhibited as part of the Gertrude Street Projection Festival with the Centre for Projection Art on Federation Square’s Big Screen and on a building facade along Gertrude Street, Fitzroy.

Created on Bunurong Country. Directed by Lilah Benetti, featuring Maxine Ellah, with cinematography by Abdul Yusu, styling by Sarah Jane McMartin, and set design by Monica Kabissios.