Kamal Rahim Tanner Tourgee was in residence to research the history, theory, and praxis of electronic music, focusing on the contributions of women, Black, and Indigenous composers in this field. He is inspired by DJ Lynnée Denise who states her approach “to describe a mix-mode research practice, both performative and subversive in its ability to shape and define social experiences, shifting the public perception of the role of a DJ from being a purveyor of party music, to an archivist and information specialist.”

Throughout his summer residency, Kamal used WPA’s space to record electronic music in traditional and innovative ways while collaborating with other artists.

About the Artist

Kamal Rahim Tanner Tourgee (he/him/his) received his MFA in Multidisciplinary New Media Arts & Critical Theory from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2019. Kamal’s practice utilizes public art, murals, installation, digital video, and sound art. He has been accepted to prestigious artist residencies including MASS MoCA, Assets 4 Artists, and he was a PBS American Documentary POV Spark African Interactive Art Residency Finalist. His work has been exhibited at Transformer Gallery, School 33 Art Center, the Katherine and Tom Belk Visual Arts Center, ICA Baltimore, the Harn Museum of Art, and has been screened in numerous group shows and festivals. As a descendent of African Slaves, Free Blacks, and Cherokee Indians, his creative practice is informed by cultural, social, and technological literacies of the Black Radical Tradition. His research interests interrogate identity and community formation in local, national, and diasporic contexts focusing on Blackness, experimental storytelling, resistance movements, and technologies’ contribution to a just society. He is currently expanding his practice as a DJ and Producer, via his stage name KAMAL ERRORR.

Upcoming