“Ian Mwesiga: Beyond the Edge of the World” at FLAG Art Foundation. Photography by Steven Probert…
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Powerhouses and Rising Stars at Flag Art Foundation
It’s a remarkable feat to stand out from the crowd of galleries lining Chelsea’s gallery district, but the Flag Art Foundation’s spring lineup has achieved just that with exhibitions featuring Graham Little, Ian Mwesiga, Tschabalala Self, and Faith Ringgold. Flag’s current season opened on Feb. 23, and marked both Little and Mwesiga’s inaugural solo shows in the United States. Scottish artist Little’s self-titled show reveals 18 gouache and colored pencil works that radiate a quiet and uncanny mystery. With “Beyond the Edge of the World,” Uganda-born Mwesiga, meanwhile, shows 11 striking oil paintings whose atmospheric landscapes all seem to be connected by eerily poignant shades of blue.
The foundation’s Spotlight series positions Self’s Hear No composition in dialogue with Faith Ringgold’s Coming to Jones Road Part 2 #2: We Here Aunt Emmy Got Us Now. Self’s work captures a Black feminine figure made of textiles mid-stride against a painted background that evokes West African Batik textiles. Ringgold’s powerfully confrontational acrylic, fabric, and text depiction of emancipated people celebrating the end of enslavement tops off a can’t-miss exhibition season at the nonprofit foundation. —Jenna Adrian-Diaz
Rendering of the Research Yard of Pratt Institute, City Tech, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Image courtesy of Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects…
Pratt Institute has unveiled its new Center for Climate Adaptation (CCA), led by David Erdman from the Graduate Architecture and Urban Design program. The center, aligned with The New York Climate Exchange and headquartered at Governor’s Island, aims to safeguard island cities like New York and Singapore by leveraging expertise from various architecture and urban design subfields. In a statement, Pratt President Frances Bronet emphasized the institution’s commitment to community-driven solutions and global collaboration, highlighting partnerships with Pace University and Singapore University of Technology and Design. Operating from a 20,000-square-foot research facility in Brooklyn Navy Yard, the center has already initiated projects with the UN Water Conference and Climate Week, including research support in Patagonia focusing on mass timber structures and greywater recycling.
The Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation (FJMF) in Washington, D.C., announced that John Ronan Architects will design a national monument honoring journalists who died in service. Beating out competitors including Höweler + Yoon and NADAAA, the Chicago-based firm was selected by FJMF’s Design Team Selection Committee that included notable figures like Paul Goldberger and Mia Lehrer. The memorial, authorized by the U.S. Congress in 2020, will sit prominently across from the National Museum of the American Indian and provide a direct view of the U.S. Capitol. While renderings are yet to be revealed, Ronan described his proposal as a narrative experience aimed at honoring those who sacrificed for truth and democracy.
Titus Kaphar in his film “Shut Up and Paint.” Photography by Bret Hartman/TED…
Titus Kaphar will be honored at the Brooklyn Museum’s Brooklyn Artists Ball in April.
Visual artist and filmmaker Titus Kaphar will be honored at the Brooklyn Museum’s 13th annual Brooklyn Artists Ball on April 9, recognizing his impact on art and activism. Kaphar, with a history at the museum through exhibitions like “The Legacy of Lynching,” holds a significant place in its collection with Shifting the Gaze. Beyond his art, Kaphar co-founded NXTHVN, a New Haven–based artists’ incubator focusing on fostering talent and access for artists of color.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently awarded LVMH founder Bernard Arnault with the Grand-Croix de la Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest civilian honor, at the Elysee Palace. The Legion d’Honneur is the highest rank in a system of government recognition established during Napoleon’s era. Arnault’s family members, artist Jeff Koons, French billionaire Vincent Bolloré, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Elon Musk also attended the event.
Alison Saar has been chosen by the International Olympic Committee and the City of Paris to create a public artwork for the 2024 Olympic Games, marking her first international project. Her sculpture, focusing on themes of diversity and equality, aims to connect Paris and Los Angeles, the host of the 2028 summer games. Selected unanimously from a group of leading American artists, Saar’s work will serve as a symbol of friendship and cultural exchange, paying homage to modern-day France’s diverse communities. Produced in France under Saar’s supervision, the project will employ local craftspeople and reduce both cost and environmental impact. The sculpture will be unveiled and inaugurated in Paris on Olympic Day.
Rendering of Yokohama’s forthcoming Game Art Museum. Image courtesy of Daiwa House…
