Radical Presence

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

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David Hammons
Bliz-aard Ball Sale, 1984
Courtesy Dawoud Bey and Jack Tilton Gallery, New York

Carrie Mae Weems
Hopes and Dreams: Gestures of Demonstration, Performance Gesture 14 or If I Ruled the World, 2006-07
Courtesy the artist

Installation view of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Photo: Adam Reich

Installation view of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Photo: Adam Reich

Tameka Norris
Untitled, 2012
Courtesy the artist and Third Streaming, New York

Installation view of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Photo: Adam Reich

Installation view of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Photo: Adam Reich

Installation view of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Photo: Adam Reich

Lyle Ashton Harris
Performing MJ, 2006
Courtesy the artist and CRG Gallery, New York

Jayson Musson (as Hennessey Youngman)
Art Thoughtz: Relational Aesthetics, 2011
Courtesy the artist

Senga Nengudi
Performance Piece, 1978
Activated by Maren Hassinger
Image courtesy the artist and Thomas Erben Gallery, New York
Photo: Harmon Outlaw

Kalup Linzy
Introducing Kaye (Romantic Loner) (performance still), 2013
Houston Museum of African American Culture January 26, 2013
In conjunction with the exhibition Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
Photo: Max Fields

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

David Hammons
Bliz-aard Ball Sale, 1984
Courtesy Dawoud Bey and Jack Tilton Gallery, New York

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Carrie Mae Weems
Hopes and Dreams: Gestures of Demonstration, Performance Gesture 14 or If I Ruled the World, 2006-07
Courtesy the artist

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Installation view of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Photo: Adam Reich

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Installation view of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Photo: Adam Reich

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Tameka Norris
Untitled, 2012
Courtesy the artist and Third Streaming, New York

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Installation view of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Photo: Adam Reich

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Installation view of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Photo: Adam Reich

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Installation view of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Photo: Adam Reich

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Lyle Ashton Harris
Performing MJ, 2006
Courtesy the artist and CRG Gallery, New York

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Jayson Musson (as Hennessey Youngman)
Art Thoughtz: Relational Aesthetics, 2011
Courtesy the artist

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Senga Nengudi
Performance Piece, 1978
Activated by Maren Hassinger
Image courtesy the artist and Thomas Erben Gallery, New York
Photo: Harmon Outlaw

Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Kalup Linzy
Introducing Kaye (Romantic Loner) (performance still), 2013
Houston Museum of African American Culture January 26, 2013
In conjunction with the exhibition Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
Photo: Max Fields

Nov 14, 2013Mar 9, 2014

Providing a critical history beginning with Fluxus and Conceptual art in the early 1960s through present-day practices, Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art chronicles the emergence and development of Black performance art over three generations, presenting a rich and complex look at this important facet of contemporary art. The exhibition comprises more than 100 works by some 36 artists, including video and photo documentation of performances, performance scores and installations, interactive works, and artworks created as a result of performance actions.

The exhibition, organized by Valerie Cassel Oliver for the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, will be presented in New York in two parts: Part I will be on view September 10 to December 7, 2013, at NYU’s Grey Art Gallery; Part II will take place November 14, 2013 to March 9, 2014 at The Studio Museum in Harlem.

Radical Presence at the Studio Museum will feature an array of video, performance-based photography, and documentation, alongside set pieces or objects used during or remnants resulting from the artists’ actions, marking the many methods employed in making performance. The Studio Museum’s presentation includes both historic and contemporary works by Derrick Adams, Terry Adkins, Papo Colo, Jamal Cyrus, Zachary Fabri, Sherman Fleming (aka RodForce), Theaster Gates, Girl (Chitra Ganesh + Simone Leigh), David Hammons, Lyle Ashton Harris, Wayne Hodge, Shaun El C. Leonardo, Kalup Linzy, Dave McKenzie, Jayson Musson (aka Hennessy Youngman), Senga Nengudi, Tameka Norris, Lorraine O’Grady, Clifford Owens, Benjamin Patterson, Adam Pendleton, Pope.L, Jacolby Satterwhite, Dread Scott, Xaviera Simmons, Sur Rodney (Sur) and Carrie Mae Weems.

The exhibition will be accompanied by more than a dozen live performances and public programs throughout its six-month run. These include a series of performances co-organized with Performa 13, New York’s celebrated performance-art biennial (November 1–24, 2013). The exhibition will be accompanied by an 144-page, illustrated hardcover catalogue, a major contribution to scholarship on performance art as well as Black visual art, and an interactive website, radicalpresenceny.org

The Studio Museum in Harlem presentation of Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art is organized by Thomas J. Lax, Assistant Curator.