Jointly organized by the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Portraits and Other Likenesses from SFMOMA brings toge-ther approximately 50 carefully selected artworks that explore the dynamic role of portraiture in modern and contemporary art. Some include LGBT themes. On view until October 11, the landmark collaboration will activate numerous spaces in the newly renovated MoAD, and will be the most extensive exhibition in the museum’s10-year history.
The exhibit includes paintings, sculptures, photographs and media art. The exhibition additionally includes a newly commissioned multimedia installation by Mickalene Thomas, Between Ourselves Together (2015), which places her large-scale photograph from SFMOMA’s collection—Sista Sista Lady Blue (2007)—alongside related photographs and a film in an immersive setting designed to evoke a 1970s living room.
Look for Glenn Ligon’s Narratives (1993). Ligon shared that he adapted the now antiquated format of 19th-century slave narratives to comment on his own life and experiences as a gay black man in the 1990s.
Yet another standout among many is Sargent Johnson’s sculpture Forever Free (1933). It presents an allegory of the promise and realization of freedom, and was on view in SFMOMA’s inaugural exhibition in January 1935. The piece ultimately became one of the artist’s signature works and inspired a new generation of black artists.
Commenting on the exhibit as a whole, MoAD Executive Director said, “Since reopening last year, MoAD has been committed to delivering vibrant, relevant exhibitions in our reimagined space. We were thrilled to be asked by SFMOMA to collaborate on developing a show of artists from the African Diaspora and Latin America, and I’m grateful for the creative hard work of co-curators Caitlin Haskell and Lizzetta LeFalle-Collins. Our collaboration with SFMOMA continues MoAD’s transformation as a serious cultural player in San Francisco.”
“The closure of SFMOMA for expansion construction has provided us a tremendous opportunity to partner with many of our peer cultural institutions, like MoAD,” said Neal Benezra, director of SFMOMA. “We are delighted to share these collaborations with our community, and look forward to continuing to build on this strong foundation of relationships when our museum reopens next spring.”
The Museum of the African Diaspora is at 685 Mission Street in San Francisco. For additional information about the museum and the new exhibit, please visit moadsf.org
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