Going Dark: The Contemporary Figure at the Edge of Visibility (2023)

Curated by Dr.Ashley James, Going Dark: The Contemporary Figure at the Edge of Visibility, was an exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. With over 100 artworks by 28 artists (primarily whom are Black and over half whom are women), the robust presentation traversed nearly 7 decades of work that subverts the politicized nature of being seen.

The exhibition statement reads, "Artists whose works appeared in the show articulate going dark by way of formal strategies that may include literal darkening methods like shadowing; rotating the body; novel materials and printing methods; and postproduction tools that blur or brighten. Some of the most recent works on view draw upon digital technology, such as the chroma-key green (or blue) screen. These works move fluidly between figuration and abstraction, and many of the artists inventively manipulate color and light to also obscure optical perception, challenging the very biology of vision."

The stunning exhibition catalogue can be purchased at the links below: $65 on Guggenheim website (New) | $25 on Thrift Books (Used)

This is hands down the most insightful exhibition I have ever seen at the Guggenheim and in my eyes one of the most critical curatorial interventions in the last 5 years.