Alumnus Antoine Williams creates interactive murals for Washington, D.C., public works program

Alumnus Antoine Williams ’03 has created four multimedia public artworks located in different quadrants of Washington, D.C., as part of The Nicholson Project, a paid artist residency program in the district.

Each Afrofuturist mural of the series “Mythic Futures” features a different mythical being that is portrayed in a way that represents contemporary Black life. According to Williams, this project serves as “contemporary Black folklore in a moment of social, racial and economic upheaval” and a “radical Black imagining in public space as a liberated act, one that is meant to subvert an untenable status quo.”

The four murals were created using wheat paste, banners and augmented reality. A QR code is displayed by each mural, which connects to Instagram, allowing the viewer to access an AR filter and take a video of the mural with added visuals.

Williams noted the blend of media allows the audience to connect the physical and the digital, making it easier to share the work and start meaningful community conversations. See Williams demonstrate the process and talk about the murals in a video on his website.

An interdisciplinary artist, Williams explores the dynamics between the status quo and moments of subversion. His work sits at the intersection of speculative fiction, monster theory, critical Black studies and afro surrealism. He received a BFA with an illustration concentration from UNC Charlotte and his MFA from UNC-Chapel Hill. An assistant professor of drawing in the University of Florida School of Art + Art History, he was named the 2021 Distinguished Alumnus in the Department of Art & Art History.