November 19, 2022 –April 9, 2023
In a time where diversity and inclusion are becoming more important in the art world, the exhibition, In the Black Fantastic, is a timely and impactful exhibition that spotlights Black African Contemporary artists. Curated by Ghanaian-British Writer & Curator, Ekow Eshun, the exhibition was initially held at the Hayward Gallery in London where thousands of spectators flocked to view the work in its entirety. As a result , the exhibition has now been reopened at the Kunsthal Museum in the Netherlands.
Alisha B. Wormsley, There Are Black People In The Future, Kunsthal Rotterdam, 2022, photo Fred Ernst
In the Black Fantastic showcases the works of eleven contemporary artists from the African Diaspora, showcasing an array of mediums such as painting, photography, video, sculpture, and installations. The artists have used boundless imagination and technical virtuosity to address folds of racism and social inequality. Inspired by folklore, myth, science fiction, spiritual tradition, and Afrofuturism, the artists focus on imagining new worlds and possibilities for the greater good of humanity.
Among the highlights of the exhibition are Nick Cave's legendary Soundsuits, Ellen Gallagher's Watery Ecstatic series, which combines myth and the history of the trans- Atlantic slave trade, and Wangechi Mutu’s compelling video work, "The End of Eating Everything," depicting the monstrous nature of mass consumption. Each artist presents a unique perspective, reshaping stories from the past and reimagining what the future may look like.
Chris Ofili, for example, created a new version of Homer's Odyssey featuring a Black Odysseus, while Lina Iris Viktor combines influences from classical mythology, West-African textiles, and Aboriginal painting in her multi-layered series of self-portraits.
The exhibition runs from November 19, 2022, to April 10, 2023, at the Kunsthal Museum in the Netherlands.
Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2014© Nick Cave.
Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.