One chilly Chicago afternoon, I planned an outing with my cousin to check out the latest exhibit at The Art Institute: Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of PanAfrica. Admittedly, I was emerging from a self-imposed cocooning process begun in the second week of November to now – including much needed respite in Istanbul – to allow myself much needed restoration as the country turned over power to the oligarchy. An exhibit about the imaginings and history of Black people building community across oceans and seas was just the motivation I needed to reengage with the world.
This exhibition is packed full of diverse artistic expressions, books and magazines, some of which are now out of print, visual presentations, and installations telling of what Pan-Africanism means to different luminaries and artists throughout time. Given President Joe Biden’s recent posthumous pardon of Marcus Garvey Jr., a pivotal leader in the Pan-African movement, it felt fitting to learn more about his legacy, his life and actually hear audio from a speech he delivered talking about the benefits of the connections across the African diaspora.
This exhibit offers much to engage with and reflect upon. I was of course in love with the 1954 self portrait of Dr. Margaret Burroughs, educator, former Chicago Park District commissioner, and founder of both the DuSable Black History Museum and the South Side Community Art Center. These are just a few of her many contributions to Black history. I was particularly interested in the books on display, some titles and authors I was familiar with and others not. The galleries are filled with visually arresting statement pieces such as Kader Attia’s Asesinos! Asesinos! and Olu Oguibe’s Keep It Real (Memorial to a Youth). The exhibit also features other well-known artists and works, sure to resonate with those who follow Black art
What stopped me in my tracks and gave me pause but also confirmation for the Debby-downer way I’ve been feeling about this country, this world and some of its inhabitants is the description for the Interiors gallery portion of the exhibit.
Interiors
Living in your head: bodily confinement and mental emancipation
…Individuals may withdraw from society by inhabiting underground havens and island territories, embracing the comforts of home, grappling with the horrors of detention camps and prison cells, or by taking refuge in dreams while awake or sleep…While many artists view the private realm as sanctuary from the public sphere, Pan-Africanist desires for self-determination and freedom can take shape through freeing one’s mind and developing psychological resilience. Strengthening our inner spirit may, in turn, inspire public organizing and collective action.
I now fully understand that I am part of a long tradition of people who have turned inward—through art, rest, and reflection—to free their minds and prepare for what comes next. For me, I have come out restored and recommitted to the work I’ve done my whole life in communicating with a purpose and I’m also free to imagine and express those imaginings through my writing and teachings.
And now with 2025 Black History Month upon us, I would encourage a cruise by this exhibit if you’re looking for something to unlock the next level in yourself.
“Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of PanAfrica”
Runs through 3/30: Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan, artic.edu/exhibitions/10157/project-a-black-planet-the-art-and-culture-of-panafrica
