“Sounds of Blackness" Exhibit (Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Taguig City, Metro Manila)

 

The "Sounds of Blackness" Exhibit

The powerful group exhibition “Sounds of Blackness,” opened last March 14 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah, brings together a diverse group of visual artists from the African Diaspora whose practices articulate a multiplicity of ideas and perspectives through various mediums. 

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The "Sounds of Blackness" Exhibit

The exhibition, showcasing artworks that stimulate the senses (similar to how music’s vibratory capacity impacts its listeners), features works evoke expressions of joy, pain, beauty, and the complexities of Black life around the globe, and highlighting a range of styles from emerging to established artists, many of whom will be exhibiting in the Philippines for the first time. 

 

Ancestral Whisper (Wahab Saheed, acrylic, charcoal,
chalk and oil on pastel, 2021)

Draped in Color (David White, mixed velvet tiles, cotton trim, 2021)

Running through June 27, the exhibition includes a carefully selected set of works from the collection of Filipino art patron and enthusiast Timothy Tan plus other pieces from private collectors throughout Asia, offering a holistic perspective and deeper cross-section of both art and artists. Sounds of Blackness also had a walk through, open to the public and free of charge, with Larry Ossei-Mensah himself last March 15, from 11 AM to 12 noon.

 

Beloved Bliss - Big Black Rainbow (Vaughn Spann, polymer paint and
terrycloth on canvas, 2020)

Forthcoming - NYC (Simphiwe Ndzube, oil on canvas and leather, 2021)

The exhibition, inspired by the Grammy Awards-winning and U.S.-based musical ensemble of the same name, aims to stimulate the senses in much the same way that the vibratory capacity of music can impact its listeners. The selection includes paintings, sculptures, a short film on dance and other unique conceptual pieces that pushes the limit of traditional, two-dimensional art. 

 

The Comedian (Nathaniel Mary Quinn, giclee printed
on Hahnemuhle German ecthing, 310 gsm, 2017)

Susan's World (Sesse Elangwe, acrylic on canvas, 2022)

Accompanying the exhibit is a 100-song soundscape (also called “Sounds of Blackness”), celebrating the multiplicity of Black expression and complementing the exhibition’s goal of reflecting and highlighting the depth and breadth of Black creativity, curated by Carolyn “CC” Concepcion of ARTNOIR, a New-York-based global collective.  Closing  the loop between visual art and music, it takes the listener on an auditory journey celebrating the multiplicity of Black expression.

 

Everything We See Hides Another Thing (Hank Willis Thomas, polished bronze, 2020)

Louis XVI, The Sun King (Kehinde Wiley, cast marble dust, powder resin, 2006)

The exhibition was sponsored by Flexiform, Poliform, Sta. Elena Construction& Development Corporation and Ruby Jack’s Steakhouse and Bar.

 

Hello Queen (Izere Antoine, acrylic on canvas, 2022)

Kept Awake (Patrick Eugene, oil on canvas, 2021)

Participating Artists:

• Patrick Alston
• Izere Antoine
• Amoako Boafo
• Kim Dacres
• Delphine Desane
• Sesse Elangwe
• Patrick Eugène
• Ufuoma Essi
• Charles Gaines
• Alex Gardner
• Alteronce Gumby
• Hugh Hayden
• Rashid Johnson
• Tunji Adeniyi-Jones
• Spencer Lewis
• Hugo McCloud
• Simphiwe Ndzube
• Toyin Ojih Odutola
• Nathaniel Mary Quinn
• Wahab Saheed
• Tschabalala Self
• Vaughn Spann
• Hank Willis Thomas
• Bongani Tshabalala
• David “Mr. StarCity” White
• Kehinde Wiley

 

Light on the Path II (Simphiwe Ndzube, acrylic, fabric,
duct tape, resin, shoe and synthetic braids on linen, 2019)

Out of Body (Tschabalal Self, quilted fabric, edition of 30, 2020)

The Ghanaian-American curator Larry Ossei-Mensah, a native of The Bronx a cultural critic and angel investor who uses art as a forum to redefine how we view ourselves and the world, has organized exhibits at global venues like the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Denver, Ben Brown Fine Arts in Hong Kong & London, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), and the 7th Athens Biennale in Athens, Greece (which he co-curated with OSMK Social Club).  

 

Jimmy (Kim Dacres, tires, screws, paint, 2017)

Navient (Hugh Hayden, wooden sculpture, 2021)

He has also organized exhibitions and programs at commercial and nonprofit spaces featuring artists such as Firelei Baez, Steve McQueen, Catherine Opie, Nick Cave, Guadalupe  Maravilla, Ebony G. Patterson, Judy Chicago, Stanley Whitney, to name a few. He has also collaborated on several Web3-related projects with creative minds such as Derrick Adams x Jay-Z, Marco Brambilla, and Mikael Owunna. 

 

Nomad (Toyin Ojih Odutola, charcoal, pastel and pencil on paper, 2016)

Untitled (Spencer Lewis, acrylic, oil, enamel and ink on jute, 2021)

Previously the Susanne Feld Hilberry Senior Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAD) Detroit, he now holds the position of Curator-at-Large at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and curated "Soul of Black Folks," the first solo museum exhibition for Ghanaian painter Amoako Boafo, at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in 2021, SanFrancisco, and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston in 2022..  During the latter part of 2023, upcoming iterations of the show will be on view at the Seattle Art Museum and Denver Art Museum. 

 

Rumors of War (Patrick Alston, acrylic, enamel, goache, oil,
oil on stick and spray paint sewn on fabric, 2021)

Searching for Kirchner (Alteronce Gumby, glass on panel, 2021)

As a co-founder of the nonprofit ARTNOIR, he is committed to promoting racial equity in the art world by supporting and centering creatives, curators, collectors, and communities of color.

 

Red Scarf and Red Nails (Amoako Boafo, oil on canvas, 2020)

Son (Hugo McCloud, plastic merchandise bags on wood panel, 2020)

Sounds of Blackness: 2/F, South Gallery, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Mariano K. Tan Centre, 30th St. cor. 9th Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila. Mobile number:: (0917) 160-9667. E-mail: info@metmuseummanila.org. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays (except on public holidays and other special notices). Pre-register a day before your visit. The museum offers free admission on Tuesdays.