Carrie Mae Weems: The Shape of Things 

Production | Exhibition Grant

Carrie Mae Weems’s The Shape of Things is a major multidisciplinary installation and public program that convenes celebrated artists, writers, and performers to interrogate the complicated state of America. The exhibition in the Drill Hall will be conceived as an ephemeral monument to the complexity of the American experience and a platform for collective investigation and reflection. Weems’ exhibition will transform the Drill Hall, building on past works like Lincoln, Lonnie and Me (2015) that layer historic visual references and text with contemporary imagery, exploring the circus of politics and “the push for a just society, along with the starts and stops on the long slow road towards progress.” Installation elements include a structure and video projection evoking a 19th century cyclorama with original music by Jawaad Taylor, a “Pepper’s Ghost” with music by Jason Moran, and a “Wailing Wall” where visitors can write down grievances and memories they wish to leave behind.

The concurrent convening, entitled Land of Broken Dreams, will comprise a series of performances by singers and dancers, talks with invited artists, readings by poets, and discussions by scholars on issues concerning race and contemporary American political life.