The Philadelphia Museum of Art is preparing for the opening of “The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure,” an exhibition that delves into the rich complexity of Black life through the work of 28 Black American and British and African contemporary artists. Curated by British writer and curator Ekow Eshun, the exhibit makes its American debut from November 9, 2024, to February 9, 2025.
“The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure” exhibition takes its title from an essay on desegregation by James Baldwin and stresses the potency and dire need for contemporary artistic expression at this very moment, right now and always.
The exhibition has three themes: Double Consciousness, The Persistence of History, and Our Aliveness. Double Consciousness explores concepts of being, belonging, and Blackness as a psychological state. The Persistence of History confronts the absence of Black figures in mainstream historical narratives and showcases how contemporary artists reclaim and recontextualize these stories. Our Aliveness celebrates Black assembly and community, featuring works that depict joyful gatherings while acknowledging historical challenges to Black sociality.
Ekow Eshun brings a wealth of knowledge as a guest curator for the National Portrait Gallery in London. Supporting him is Sarah Howgate, Senior Curator of Contemporary Collections at the National Portrait Gallery. In Philadelphia, the exhibition is curated by Erica F. Battle, the John Alchin and Hal Marryatt Curator of Contemporary Art, with assistance from Yocari De Los Santos, the Constance E. Clayton Fellow.
Mark your calendars for “The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure” exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from November 9, 2024, to February 9, 2025. Tickets are available now.
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