Studio Barnes: You Can Always Come Home

You Can Always Come Home is a short film that explores the domestic realm through the eyes of a young child. Filmed in Miami, Florida, where Studio Barnes is located, this installation highlights themes such as celebration, ritual, family, and love through Black spatial occupation of the kitchen and front porch. Tangent to the film is a poem written by artists Reginald O’Neal and Arsimmer McCoy that furthers the investigation and liberation of Blackness in the architected environment. Inspired by the 2021 Architectural League Prize theme, Housekeeping, which challenged participants to acknowledge systemic oppression in labor, gender, and race, this collaborative installation aims to dispel common tropes of trauma, pain, and discrimination while promoting joy, delight, and self-care.

Directed & edited by Juan Luis Matos
Produced by Monica Sorelle
Executive produced by Germane Barnes
Cinematography by Javier Labrador
1st AC & Color by Javier Coello
Production Assistant David Ortiz
Post Production Sound by Joel Hernandez
Music by Dion Kerr
Original poetry written and performed by Arsimmer McCoy and Reginald O’Neal