2023
Front cover by AzeliA, Aydin Hayat, Callie Wohlgemuth Inside cover by Callie Wohlgemuth
movement is: change, chaos, entropy, agency, velocity, waves, inertia, traversal how do you move?
Poem by Lauren
Stasis Antonio Cuevas
Zoom Antonio Cuevas
Wrapped Antonio Cuevas
Light Finds a Way Antonio Cuevas
Breeze Antonio Cuevas
SWINGS I wish I could swing on swings forever, My feet kicking the air. Propelling me forward. My hands gripping the chains of the seat I am floating on. There once was a time where I did not know how to swing. And there once was a time where I learned, and it became my only ounce of freedom. And there once was a time where the seat could no longer hold me. And I had to define freedom on my own. How can I mimic the very thing that made me feel insignificant in a world that placed me on a pedestal and told me to succeed? A world that bore down on my 19-year-old back and said make it to the finish line. I want to feel as minuscule and trivial as swinging did. As floating on my very own tears didn't. As drowning in my own expectations couldn't. I wish I could swing on the swings forever. And disappear between the dusts of wind that trickled throughout my hair. But my reality beckons me and it's time to move on. But let me not forget the freedom that came with knowing I am one of trillions. Let me not forget the significance of feeling insignificant in a world that gives too much meaning to everything. Let me not forget how to swing on the swings that I wish I could swing forever on.
Poem by Cheyanne Sparkman
Drawing by AzeliA
A CONVERSATION WITH:
Photos by Callie Wohlgemuth
Nova New Chorus aka Sawyer What is your name? And pronouns? Most people know me as Martin, and he/him. But I recently started going by Sawyer, and she/her. What does the word movement mean to you? To me, movement is change. While some change is good, some change is bad. Fairly often, you’re just not in control of it all. And so part of it is getting comfortable with the fact that there’s change. There’s chaos, there’s movement going around and it’s healthy to be a part of it.
open to how much body shaming women go through on just a daily basis. It doesn’t matter what body type you have, it’s just not good enough for society. It really quickly set in on me - if I want to be happy, I can’t want to have a certain body. So being trans is a journey of fitting into society in a different way. It is a journey for me to just get in touch with who I am.
"MOVEMENT CAN FEEL LIKE HOME"
How would you describe your own experience with moving and transitioning through different phases in your life?
How do you see movement as a source of comfort versus a source of conflict?
For me, as a trans person, I spent a lot of my life trying to move and speak like a man. Learning more feminine movements [later in life] that had always come natural to me, I felt more at home in my body when I was standing in a way that I would have been made fun of as a child. So, movement can feel like home. It can be a way of disguising yourself and hiding. There’s the metaphorical movement through form. From pretending to be what people wanted me to be to moving more into myself.
So I’ve practiced multiple forms of Taekwondo and… [To me], it’s this art [where] you’re almost fighting what your body is. You’re fighting your opponent’s body, and you’re in conflict the whole time… in order to feel safe. Aketo is the opposite. Realizing that the most efficient movement is relaxed motion and the best body is your body. You can actually take your opponent’s fighting energy and use it against them. It’s an approach that I’ve had toward life for a long time. If you let the world be difficult, figure out a way to survive, and just be yourself instead of fighting against it constantly, you tend to find smoother ways of existing in the world that take less energy to be yourself.
What does being trans mean to you? Being trans to me isn’t being a woman. I mean, I feel like a woman, I want to be more feminine. But very quickly, my eyes were
"LOVE: you have to constantly reaffirm it."
What is one thing that you hold to be true? Learning to relax is a skill. Crisis is always going to be there and when you’re freaked out, you’re going to handle it worse and add to the chaos. Due to a lack of social services, low wages, long commutes, and medical issues, it’s been really tough. One thing that I’ve had to learn to get through is how to relax when my life is constantly on fire. I think for me, finding healthy ways to relax is one of the most healing things you can do. Relaxation is radical.
Excerpt from “Whirlwind Romance” a zine by Sawyer aka Nova New Chorus
CONVERSATION CONTINUED: In your section, “Setting a Precedent,” you speak about the racial and queer intersections that help form or undercut safe spaces for trans folks in your zine. What has your experience been like trying to find and navigate safe spaces? What are your thoughts about this kind of friction, in regards to trying to exist in these spaces? As a straight white male for most of my life, most spaces are de facto built for me. I’m not saying that’s a good thing. That’s just the way that our society is set up and a lot of identifying as a queer person and as a woman is unpacking a lot of that. I didn’t fit perfectly into those spaces. I’m queer whether I’m hiding it or not. But what are those spaces and why are they safe for white people and men? What benefit does that actually give people when you have a lack of diversity of opinion? For a lot of people, unpacking that is really uncomfortable. When you’re going into queer spaces or BIPOC spaces, you have to confront your own biases without relying on the people that those biases hurt to be the ones to lift you out of your own ignorance. It’s a difficult line to walk. Fairly often, when entering these queer spaces as a trans woman, there’s a lot of learning when not to speak, when to listen, when to understand that somebody doesn’t want to go deeper on something, when to not press them… just overall acknowledging the intersectionalities. The more in touch you get with your own awareness, the more other people change their reactions to you. You affirm yourself more and more, and what you’re affirming becomes more and more outside of other people’s normal. Their reactions to you change for better or for worse. And as
a trans person, you notice. The journey of becoming more yourself is a really difficult one. As I started to just affirm my own identity, not even my own gender, but my identity as a person… everything that I tried to break down, ignore, and hide in order to fit in, to not be made fun of, to get a job… it started to fade away. You start to notice that everyone is performing their gender… But as you start to be yourself more and worry less about society’s reaction to that, you become happier. Because a lot of people use social rejection and affirmation as a form of safety rather than as a form of self actualization. You shine light on the concept of love in many forms: self love, familial love, etc. How do these impact your journey of reshaping your identity and the trans imaginary? We’re bombarded with reasons to hate ourselves, our bodies, our families, our jobs. Love, you have to constantly reaffirm it. You don’t always get it from your friends or family, but love is radical. The financial system, the system of power that has existed for centuries thrives off of turmoil when people like you and me feel powerless. But when you are able to build a community where people know what love is, have time to relax and talk about things… that shit is radical. You have to constantly feed yourself love and self actualization, and you have to give it to other people. You have to tell them that they deserve to be where they’re at in life. Everyone needs that to move through their own journey of self actualization. For me as a trans person, I had to realize that all of the things that I hated about myself, I actually loved. I deserve love. I deserve to be, not someone different, but who I already am. It’s great, and I’m great.
untitled Mark Moreno Band pictured: Innocent
Excerpt from: Order of Argus (a Series) Kyree Saintilus
Looming Jovan Rocha
with love, Jaime I think a lot about how the grass here is likely nonnative, and how all the trees are so young. When I am back home, I think about how everything used to be a river. Sometimes you can find fossils and little shells in the sandy dirt. All the trees there are young, many non-native. Sometimes I think about the graves beneath us, giving new life to strangers. I think about overgrown, uncared-for little plots of land, where the grass grows tall. I don’t know my ancestors very well. Not in my mind, at least. What little I do know is that life has always been hard for my family. Survival has always been the top priority. We are a family of movers, adapters. First we came from the Canary Islands, to Cuba, then the United States, all over, wherever a job could be found, Chicago, Miami, Tulsa, Oklahoma. We are not strangers to stepping into the unknown, nor to sacrifice. Work runs in my blood. Hard work, work so hard and endless it starts to live inside you. It lives inside us. I have never been a stranger to loss. I have an aunt I’ve never met. Her name was Magali. We are a family of healers, caretakers. My great-aunt was the curandera of her town. When I heal, she is healing through me. My family are laborers, singers, healers, farmers, dancers, colonizers. All these stories live inside me.
Dance has always felt familiar, as has music. I used to think so much of me was unique and different, but it really isn’t. I am discovering, slowly, myself, and by doing so I am discovering my ancestors. I love to sing. So does my mother, and so does hers. When I sing we sing together, from the same heart. I have the power of all those who came before me. I have the persistence of someone who goes to a foreign land where they cannot survive and survives still. I have the power of someone who would do anything to protect their loved ones. The urge to protect is strong in me, the urge to care for others. I have the power to hold so much inside of me, to bear so much weight. I have a suspicion that my ancestors rarely had the time, energy, or space to process and release their experiences, emotions. When I cry, I am shedding the tears of generations past. I feel the same grief as my grandmother when her daughter passed. The same loss that is felt when one must leave home behind. As a healer, you ease the pain of others, but what about your own? When you’re in charge of protecting everyone, who is left to care for you? I am familiar with the empty loneliness that comes when you realize there is no one to care for you, not in the way you need. Thank you, ancestors, for your determination, your selflessness. Thank you for the incredibly high standards you put upon yourself, and others. Thank you for your stubbornness, your unwavering passion to protect what we love. Thank you for your courage to go into the unknown places, thank you for the fear that kept you safe. Thank you for your art, your music, your song. Thank you for your love of nature, and your reverence for it. Thank you for your infinite
connections to the spiritual world. It all lives inside of me. Thank you for your grief, and for the pain of everything lost. Thank you for your wisdom, and your awareness. I am beginning to think that the only reason I have survived all trials in my life is because I have done it before. I’ve done it all before. There is a deeper reason why I never believe someone who says I am powerless. My ancestors must have heard this many times, and many times proved this wrong. Poem by Jaime Ruiz
The Red Dunes Jovan Rocha
Partners in Motion Lily Marie Fiore
Dancing in the Ocean Light Lily Marie Fiore
Chaotic Harmony Lily Marie Fiore
Ocean Oddity Lily Marie Fiore
Photos by Karina Wu Fung, Oliver Canosa Models: Andrea Valeriano, Gaby Lahera, Lizzy Chavarria Edited by Callie Wohlgemuth
Movement. My body is a vessel, discovering joy through the very thing that burdens me, my home, my people. My feet land, my arms raise And I feel free. Freedom. Standing high and proud on the backs of our loved ones Cloaked in white, a sign for the othered us to mourn our loss yet we continue on, the border a mirage. My mother’s soft weeping and the present melodies begin to merge into a realm of both illusion and reality. Predetermined with no agency. My first memories of this world are marked by the words of my mother who spoke of the American Dream that has become her guiding light. I want to believe it too. In Little Havana, My mother reminisces on the ponds by her grandmother’s town, the bustling ports, the people of Guangzhou. Her homeland. What is mine? Deep down I know that our strength transcends the dissonance within me The waves that uphold our history run deeper than the seas that keep us all apart. Poem by Karina Wu Fung
I Don’t Know Jovan Rocha
Photos by AzeliA, Alain Gr-Polanco, Aydin Hayat, Callie Wohlgemuth Model: 3niAlien Edited by Callie Wohlgemuth
A CONVERSATION WITH:
3NI
ALIEN
Hi, could you say your name and pronouns please? My name is Trini Ellis and I don’t really use pronouns or think about it. I just be me type shit. What does the word movement mean to you? It means to keep going. To go with the flow. To follow your heart. To do what you feel. To never stop. Yeah, to always keep going. You served as the face of our second issue, which held themes of movement, space, chaos, anxiety, peace. Do any of these resonate with you and your art? If so, how? I will say chaos mostly. Just because I don’t really be very organized with my art, I just do what I feel. And um… anxiety. Yeah, I always try to be chill. But like a lot of the time, I’ll be anxious and people don’t really notice. What about space, peace, and solitude? I would say space. I really don’t feel like I belong on this planet or anywhere that I be type shit, which goes along with solitude. But it also brings me peace because I just am. I’ll just be there and do what I do. Some people resonate, some people don’t, and that’s okay. How do you feel like your art portrays those themes to the World? Yeah, I feel like I like to give outer space vibes in my art,
especially music. I like to play different stuff. Stuff that keeps people moving, that makes them uncomfortable. A lot of the time I feel like a lot of people can’t keep up with my music, but that’s because I’ll be playing a lot of, like, intense stuff. I just do what I do and I didn’t really used to see it as art until other people told me. Then you make me conscious of, like, “Ohh yeah,” I’m making art. What value do you see in The Uncomfortable? With the music, I will say because I like to play hard techno, like big bass, a lot of people be running away from the bass, especially out here in Providence, there’s not really any scene for techno… I feel like sometimes I’m making people uncomfortable when I’m there … Because I be so cool. I feel like sometimes they don’t want to approach … Do you feel like it’s a good thing? To feel uncomfortable? I feel like it’s a good thing because you got to get out of your comfort zone. I like to make people feel different things and make them think about stuff that they wouldn’t normally think about. What was your favorite part of the photoshoots? What was your experience navigating the themes of the shoots? My favorite part was shooting with everybody in the room and the energy of having a party because I’m always partying basically.
Another favorite part was when we were shooting in the room. And actually, now that I’ve seen the picture of me [posing] everywhere, that photo was so cool to create.
here when I was in college and I left college and I just be working, making money. That keeps me moving. But I’ve been trying to focus on music other than making money.
Can you speak a bit on your experience as a DJ and musical artist?
What do you feel like is your driving force?
I’ve been DJing for 2 years. I just started producing my own music and got into engineering and then, from DJing, I went so deep into sounds. I love it. I played in a bunch of places in Providence… I want to expand but I also like to do my own things, like my own parties. If I play out here, I just want to throw my own party. How do you feel like your music relates to movement? I think it relates because I like to make people dance. Even though I play big bass, I like to keep that groovy [vibe] in there to keep people moving. Do you post any music online? Yeah, I have some music online on my SoundCloud. My SoundCloud name is 3niAlien. I have a couple of DJ sets but I haven’t really been posting a lot because I’m studying right now so that keeps me busy. I’m studying about music, so I’m just taking my time. What’s been your lifetime experience with movement? Ever since I was a kid, my mom would make me do different types of art and I used to be a dancer in school. Then, I just moved out
I am just me, discovering myself and wanting to have security for my life and for my family. One piece of advice? Dare to be yourself. Find the things that you like and go for it. Learn about it. And just keep on doing and keep on doing what you do. Even if you don’t know what it is that you like, you’ll find out with time the things that you really like. What do you think is a catalyst for change for you? I feel like I’m constantly in a state of change because I just like to transform and grow. And I like to follow the moon, I feel like that makes me change a lot. I feel like I’ve always been easy to adapt. I just be feeling like I’m a mutant sometimes. Does the movement and cyclical nature of space influence you? I like to read a lot, so that’s how I find out what’s going on in the stars. And I just like to keep it to myself. I like to discover about the past, I feel like that’s a catalyst for change, too. Discovering not only your roots, but where we come from, why we are here, and where we gonna go.
"I'm constantly in a state of change... to transform and grow. And I like to follow the moon..."
ARTIST STATEMENTS Lauren (she/they) Instagram: @sleep1ngsashimi Coventry, RI Lauren is a senior at the University of New Hampshire. They have been writing poetry and prose for years as a way to change how they perceive the world around them, as well as understand themselves better. Their biggest inspirations are the thoughts that come from deep introspection and philosophical inquiries. Antonio Cuevas Ortiz (they/them) Instagram, Twitter, Youtube: @_antoniocuevas_ Shelton, CT Born in Tijuana, Mexico and raised in Connecticut, Antonio Cuevas Ortiz has been making photographs since 2017. Antonio is a magical realist/non-fiction story teller. The photos they make come from a holistic perspective, one that engages, observes, and preserves life’s moments as a focal point for introspection.
Art by Aydin Hayat
Cheyanne Sparkman Instagram: @cheyanne.maries, LinkedIn: cheyannesparkman Spelman College Cheyanne Sparkman is a biochemistry major, and Spanish minor from Chesapeake, VA. Aside from science, she has found her passion in poetry. Poetry has become an outlet for her to voice her opinions, thoughts, and feelings. Poetry challenges her to step out of her comfort zone, and she is ecstatic to see what opportunities this passion brings.
Kyree Saintilus Rhode Island School of Design Kyree Saintilus is an American illustrator from Chicago, Illinois, focusing on sequential art and animation. These pieces can often take the form of fantastical and supernatural short comics that often discuss how individual experiences inform the body, its growth, and its change. His colorful work has appeared in the Chicago Cultural Center, the Black Biennial at the RISD Museum, and the Society of Illustrators. Jovan Rocha (he/they) Instagram: @prodamalgama, Twitter & TikTok: @amalgama___ Providence, RI Afro-Caribbean artist/producer born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. Also known as “Amalgama” (meaning to consciously amalgamate) Jovan has created instrumental albums such as Existence is Futile, Royal Nothing, and their HEADSPACE EP along with several other projects always in the works. Traditionally a musician, Jovan has been exploring acrylic painting as another medium as well as he delves into his own artistry.
Mark Moreno (he/him) Instagram: @markymark0 Providence, RI Mark is a musician, photographer and concert promoter based out of Providence, Rhode Island. His subjects tend to be still streetscapes, urban decay and architecture, but more recently have been musicians/live bands. He tries his best to capture the raw emotion and movement of the music through “happy accidents,” as he calls them. Jaime Ruiz (they/she/he) Instagram: @jaialaime23 Miami, FL Jaime Ruiz is a genderqueer Latine interdisciplinary artist who seeks to explore the depths of the human experience. They are fascinated by subjects like spirits, death, sex, and the natural world. Besides the written word, they love to express themselves through dance, music, and visual art. Lily Marie Fiore (she/her) Instagram: @lilaay_fiore North Providence, RI Lily’s day job is a Project Manager for the Taunton Housing Authority. Her passion is photography, it gives her an outlet to be creative. To try and see the world differently and to capture the magical moments within it. Maggie Witham (she/they) Instagram: @meta.magnolia & @existartial Boston, MA Maggie is a 24-year-old artist living in Boston. Major themes in their artwork include: open space, observations, romance, and nostalgia.
T HE T E A M
Callie Wohlgemuth (they/he/she)
Karina Wu Fung (she/they)
AzeliA (they/them)
we are ech(o)z. we are a group of creatives whose main mission is to uplift and collaborate with the voices of the unseen and unheard. we hope to echo our collective experience through multimedia creation. we hope you join us on our journey.
Aydin Hayat (he/they)
Nicolis Cantu (he/she/they)
Mary Evans (they/she/he)
Tj Duft (he/him)
@echozmag