8 Must-See Black Art Exhibitions To Check Out This Summer
Gio Swaby’s “Fresh Up,” Tracey Rose’s “Shooting Down Babylon,” and “Africa Fashion” at the V&A Museum are just a few of the installations on display during the coming months.
Some years ago, the great Duke Ellington once said: “Art is dangerous. It is one of the attractions; when it ceases to be dangerous you don’t want it.” There are many artists today the push the boundaries of creative expression, and a lot of their work can be seen at various galleries this summer.
London has become a hub for Black artists, showcasing several exhibits through the end of the year. Tate Modern is home to Lubaina Himid’s solo show, while the V&A Museum will highlight the global impact of the fashion scene in the Motherland with “Africa Fashion.”
In the states, the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, as well as MFA Boston also holds the work of some of the world’s most talented artists, specifically that of Gio Swaby and Philip Guston. Swaby’s “Fresh Up” exhibition can be seen in Florida until October 9, while the artwork of the late Guston is on display in Boston through September 11.
Take a look at these 8 Black art exhibitions to check out this summer, below.
01
Jeannette Ehlers – “Black Bullets”
Jeannette Ehlers is a Danish-Trinidadian artist who creates work that addresses the history of colonialism and structures of racism. Earlier this year, the Copenhagen-based artist presented “Black Bullets” at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA). The exhibition will be on view until August 14.
Jeannette Ehlers’ Black Bullets (2012)
02
Lubaina Himid at Tate Modern
London’s Tate Modern recently unveiled the highly anticipated exhibition for British artist, Lubaina Himid. She became the first Black woman and oldest-ever recipient to win the Turner Prize back in 2017. The exhibition is on view until October 2.
Zeitz MOCAA presents the largest comprehensive exhibition of Tracey Rose. A powerful voice in the art world since the mid-90s, Rose’s vision will be highlighted in a large-scale exhibition including work spanning from 1996 to 2019. The title of the show, “Shooting Down Babylon” is on view until August 18.
Tracey Rose, “Shooting Down Babylon”
04
“Africa Fashion” at the V&A Museum, London
Spanning iconic mid-20th century to contemporary creatives through photographs, textiles, music, and the visual arts, “Africa Fashion” at the V&A museum in London seeks to explore the global impact of a fashion scene in the Motherland. This exhibition is on view until April 16, 2023.
Courtesy of Stephen Tayo, 2019.
05
“In the Black Fantastic” at Hayward Gallery
“In the Black Fantastic” is an exhibition of 11 contemporary artists from the African diaspora, who draw on science fiction, myth, and Afrofuturism to question our knowledge of the world. This exhibition held at Hayward Gallery is on display until September 18.
Hew Locke’s works in “In The Black Fantastic.” Copyright the artist.
06
Simone Leigh at The Venice Biennale
Simone Leigh’s work contributes to what she describes as an “incomplete archive of Black feminist thought.” Her exhibition will be on display at the Venice Biennale through November 27.
Simone Leigh at The Venice Biennale, 2022
07
Gio Swaby – “Fresh Up”
The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg is home to the first solo museum exhibition of multidisciplinary artist Gio Swaby, whose work explores the intersections of Blackness and womanhood. “Fresh Up” is on view until October 9.
08
‘The Harder They Come’ 50th Anniversary Exhibition
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of ‘The Harder They Come,’ the Henzell family presents a limited-time public art exhibition in Kingston now through August 28.
