The most profound artwork can take common, yet mysterious, elements of human experience and make them tangible. Explore some of the ways in which African artists have turned complex ideas into readable, powerful pieces of art that can teach us important things about the communities in which they were made, as well as about ourselves.
The October 11 program has been cancelled. The October 25 program will go on as planned.
about the facilitator
Sam Ramos has been with the Art Institute since 2017 and currently serves as director of gallery activation. Sam writes fiction, essays, and art criticism. Published pieces include “Exiles from the Wasteland,” Fiction (2019), “An Invisible System: The Art of Scheff Weems,” Badlands Literary Journal (Winter 2018), “What Relevance Can Art Have for Frontline Providers Right Now?” Hyperallergic (April 20, 2020), and “On Leaving Dove Springs: A meditation on neighborhood, fear, family, and change,” The Austin Chronicle, (August 2014). His novel, Ghost Box, was included on the 2023 Dzanc Prize for Fiction Longlist.
what to expect
The group will meet in Gallery 137 and will be led to several artworks in our galleries devoted to the Arts of Africa. The route does not include stairs. There will be limited seating. ASL interpretation and/or assisted listening devices are available upon request at [email protected].
Assisted listening devices are limited and available on a first come, first served basis. Requests must be made at least two weeks in advance.
