Tonight No Poetry Will Serve: James Massiah

Tonight No Poetry Will Serve by Alfredo Jaar offers a powerful reflection on the limits of language and the role of creative expression in times of tragedy. A lament for today’s darkness and a call to find the words to confront these tragic hours, the bold new public intervention displays the arresting title of a poem by Adrienne Rich (1929–2012), a figure of inspiration for Jaar since the 1980s, who observed the limits of words in times of unthinkable violence: “no poetry can serve to mitigate such acts, they nullify language itself,” she wrote in 2011. Throughout November 2023, Alfredo Jaar and CIRCA commissioned a series of poetic dialogues, curated by Vittoria de Franchis, from international writers, thinkers and speakers. Giving voice to those who find themselves silenced or without words, the poems hope to achieve Rich’s ambition that creative expression can reconcile conflicting realities.

We are going through a very repressive moment, when nuance is lost and free speech is threatened. But I strongly believe that the spaces of art and culture must remain spaces of freedom. Artists will not be intimidated. In this environment, I have turned to the words of anti-war campaigner and poet Adrienne Rich to reflect both the limits of language and the frustration felt by many that voices for peace and justice cannot sound out as clearly as we wish. And, as part of the CIRCA commission, I am turning to today’s poets, writers, and artists, to support a forum for creative expression where the clear-sighted demands of humanity and empathy can be heard. In these times when politics have failed us miserably, art and culture are our only hope. Art is like the air we breathe, without art, life would be unlivable. Art creates spaces of resistance, spaces of hope.

I See by James Massiah

I

 see 

I

 see 

I

 see

I

 see 

So

 many 

See

So

 many 

See

Some

 in town 

Some

 overseas 

I

 see I see 

I

 see I see 

I

 say I see 

No

 secrecy 

But

 secretly 

I

 see 

I

 see 

That’s

 me 

That’s

 me

I

 be 

I

 be 

Just

 let me be 

Just

 let me be 

I’m

 down to see 

For

 you 

For

 me 

Let’s

 see

Let’s

 see

Let’s

 see 

Let’s

 see

James Massiah is a poet & musician from South London, UK whose work explores ideas about sexuality, mortality & hedonism through performance, writing & visual media. His ongoing series of New Poems is released in volumes and details his day-to-day experiences of life, love and labour in London.

He has been commissioned to produce work for the BBC and the Guardian as well as featuring in campaigns for Dior, Nike, Lotus and more . He has performed readings of his work at the Tate Modern, the Courtauld, the Institute of Contemporary Arts & the Houses of Parliament & been profiled in Vogue, Dazed, i-D & GQ. He has also curated events for Boiler Room & hosts a monthly show on NTS Radio.

James also runs the poetry night Adult Entertainment, which features poets and guests from various creative disciplines reciting their work, as well as the writing salon and workshop series Adult Education.