āGrief and Grievanceā [Press Preview] @ The New Museum by j- No
Via Flickr:
LES Manhattan NYC Feb. 16, 2021 exhibition on show thru June 6, 2021
Opening to coincide with Black History Month, āGrief and Grievanceā is an exhibition that focuses on the intersection of white nationalism and the cultural memory of Black grief as central to American life, as articulated in the work of contemporary Black American artists working in nearly every artistic medium.
The show, as conceived by the late Okwui Enwezor, was originally intended to begin prior to the 2020 U.S. presidential election, but due to the current global pandemic, the opening had to be delayed. The project was completed by Naomi Beckwith, Massimiliano Gioni, Glenn Ligon, and Mark Nash as curatorial advisors.
In Enwezorās view, the works in this exhibition help illustrate the idea that "mourning is a practice that permeates the social, economic, and emotional realities of Black life in America as it is experienced across multiple generations", from the civil rights movement of the 1960s to issues of police violence in the United States in the 1990s and today. The works of these artists stand as proof that many of the concerns driving the current debates around race, discrimination, and violence in America and that Black grief remains a national emergency that must not be ignored.
The 37 artists included in the show include: Terry Adkins, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kevin Beasley, Dawoud Bey, Mark Bradford, Garrett Bradley, Melvin Edwards, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Charles Gaines, Ellen Gallagher, Theaster Gates, Arthur Jafa, Daniel LaRue Johnson, Rashid Johnson, Jennie C. Jones, Kahlil Joseph, Deana Lawson, Simone Leigh, Glenn Ligon, Kerry James Marshall, Tiona Nekkia McClodden, Julie Mehretu, Okwui Okpokwasili, Adam Pendleton, Julia Phillips, Howardena Pindell, Cameron Rowland, Lorna Simpson, Sable Elyse Smith, Tyshawn Sorey, Diamond Stingily, Henry Taylor, Hank Willis Thomas, Kara Walker, Nari Ward, Carrie Mae Weems, and Jack Whitten.
Upcoming public programs related to "Grief and Grievance," include a wide range of conversations with artists from the exhibition:
Theaster Gates in conversation with Massimiliano Gioni on February 25;
Melvin Edwards in conversation with Massimiliano Gioni on March 2;
LaToya Ruby Frazier in conversation with Margot Norton on March 12;
Kerry James Marshall in conversation with Massimiliano Gioni on March 18;
Dawoud Bey in conversation with Gary Carrion-Murayari on March 23;
Adam Pendleton in conversation with Andrew An Westover on April 1;
Hank Willis Thomas in conversation with Margot Norton on April 8;
Rashid Johnson in conversation with Massimiliano Gioni on April 15;
Tiona Nekkia McClodden in conversation with Margot Norton on May 3; with more to be announced.
Additionally, on February 24, the Museum will host āWorkshop for Educators: Grief and Grievance: Art and Morning in America.ā Designed for K-12 educators, this program will highlight and contextualize works in the exhibition with historic and contemporary social movements, and artistsā concerns today.
[photo credits: James Nova for NYTCAP]