Ethiopian artist Julie Mehretu's exhibition About the Space of Half an Hour was shown to the public at Marian Goodman’s New York City gallery during the tumultuous times of 2020. With the US Presidential election looming overhead and COVID-19 around the bend, the exhibit has certainly witnessed a time of upheaval for the enduring struggle for racial equality and justice. In the exhibit, Mehretu employs her signature abstract art pieces to confront the complexities of a world plunged into pandemic induced socio-political chaos.
She also pays homage to the resilience of Black people during these times—as they struggle to reconcile generational trauma with rampant current traumas from the 2020s. Mehretu does all this by delving into themes of capitalism, white supremacy and the legacy of slavery in the United States on her canvases. This makes her pieces a catalyst for healing and empowerment within the Black community, reflecting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Reduced Inequalities.
One of her pieces in the exhibit, A Mercy, is an homage to a Toni Morrison novel of the same name, which explores the intergenerational trauma of enslavement through the eyes of a little girl named Florens. Mehretu's dedication of an entire canvas to this particular piece is a reminder to her viewers of the importance of Morrison’s thoughts and ideas. Morrison’s books often assess ongoing inter-generational struggles of Black people, as they face systemic oppression and racial inequality through the innocent eyes of a curious child. This idea is also contained in most of Mehretu's abstract canvases, as they invite her viewers to contemplate on the impact of historical injustices on Black communities today through the curiosity of a child.
In an interview with Flash Art, Mehretu shared that the title of her exhibition, About the Space of Half an Hour, speaks about the uncertainty and precarity of the 2020s. She believes this echoes biblical sentiments which can be found in Revelation 8:1, a passage that recounts the few moments of silence in heaven after the seventh and final seal of rapture had been unleashed upon the world. The silence meant that no one knew what was about to happen, much like how people in 2020 stood by with bated breath as they watched the pandemic unfold and the world plunge into socio-political and economic instability. This world was also plagued by racial injustice, with a spike in hate-crime rate towards persons of colour.
Mehretu deliberately works with abstraction as a radical act of resistance against the hegemonic forces of racism and capitalism. This is a direct reaction to how Black art is often associated with figurative art, meanwhile abstract art has been a space that’s heavily dominated by white male artists. Mehretu’s pieces reclaims abstract art as a site of Black liberation. She challenges the traditional narratives and expectations imposed upon Black artists and shows that Black artists are capable of so much more than the roles they have been assigned to by the art system.
In her previously mentioned interview with Flash Art, Mehretu also outlines how her pieces are infused with references to radical and creative Black traditions, such as jazz music and the writings of Frantz Fanon and Édouard Glissant. By drawing upon these rich cultural legacies, Mehretu reclaims abstraction as a form of cultural resistance, challenging the dominant narratives within the art form that have historically marginalized Black voices.
Julie Mehretu's exhibition About the Space of Half an Hour showcases the transformative power of art in times of crisis. Through her abstract canvases, Mehretu confronts the legacies of racism and oppression while offering space for healing and empowerment within the Black community. As her viewers reflect on themes of Black liberation and racial justice, Mehretu's artwork serves as a reminder of the importance of centring marginalized voices in the quest for racial equality.
Find out more about About the Space of Half an Hour and other initiatives by Julie Mehretu on her Marian Goodman Gallery page or Instagram @juliemehretu.