“We can, and it is time for us as critics and students of African art to do so, read and try to bring to light the discourses we face on canvases, the contradictory languages of sculptures, the textures of batiks, and, apropos of oeuvres by, for example, Thomas Mukomberanwa, Iba N’Diaye, Trigo Piula, or Twins Seven Seven, try to decode and publicize the richness of a language that museums might silence, as they do with everything they stabilize.” —V. Y. Mudimbe
Facilitated by librarian Jillian Suarez, this group will read and discuss an excerpt from V. Y. Mudimbe’s “The Idea of Africa” in the context of the exhibition Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination. Mudimbe’s ideas will guide our examination of works by west- and central-African photographers in the exhibition. Among the questions we will address is, What is the main conflict between an art object’s original, complex cultural role as a record of history and tradition, and the way it is displayed and interpreted in a museum setting?
This session will take place in person at MoMA. No prior preparation or background is necessary to participate. We will read the text together during the session and you will receive advance access to the text as well. There will be time for collective and small group discussions during this program, and time to view the installation.
This session is part of MoMA’s Reading Group series. Our intention is to create space for people to gather to consider a range of perspectives and think critically through guided readings of key texts that can help illuminate new ways of looking at art in MoMA’s galleries. Our priority is to create a space comfortable enough for participants to take risks with their thinking and possibly find a sense of fellowship, community, and camaraderie with the facilitator and their fellow readers. This program is free, open to all, and takes place in the galleries and in the Crown Creativity Lab.
Jillian Suarez is the associate director of research services at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, where she directs the operational execution and strategic vision for the Center’s reading rooms. Throughout her career at institutions including The Museum of Modern Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Suarez has focused on making archival and special collections more accessible, specifically working to provide access and support to marginalized voices within the historical record. Her work is driven by the foundational belief that information and libraries are for anyone, and she strives to ensure that all researchers feel welcomed and supported while navigating complex collections and sensitive histories. Jillian holds an MLS from the University at Buffalo, an MA in media studies from the New School, and a BA in art history from Florida International University.
Accessibility
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is available for public programs upon request with two weeks’ advance notice. MoMA will make every effort to provide accommodation for requests made with less than two weeks’ notice. Please contact [email protected] to make a request for these accommodations.
Wheelchair accessible seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information on accessibility at MoMA, please visit moma.org/Visit/Accessibility/.
Major funding is provided by the Agnes Gund Education Endowment Fund for Public Programs, the Jeanne Thayer Young Scholars Fund, and the Annual Education Fund.