New documentary goes behind the scenes of Rashaad Newsome’s biggest project

A new documentary, “Assembly,” co-directed by artist Rashaad Newsome and Johnny Symons, follows Newsome’s commission for the Wade Thompson Drill Hall at Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory and the creation of his project “Assembly” (2022). The film documents how Newsome, a gay Black artist, sought to “reclaim” a space lined with portraits of white military officers by centering liberation-focused performance and community participation. The work’s centerpiece is a voguing-based pageant that incorporates global dance traditions and was built from submissions and collaborations with dancers from countries including Japan, Ukraine, and Brazil, organized around five movement elements (hand performance, catwalk, floor performance, spin dips, and duck walking). The project also features “Being,” Newsome’s non-binary AI host described as a griot-like guide, and includes a 40-foot-tall hologram of dancers plus three weeks of evening performances spanning rap, spoken word, musical theatre, dance, and opera.

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