When Gagosian The gallery opened its doors in Beverly Hills almost 30 years ago with the goal of amplifying its global influence within the art industry. Since then, the venue has featured works by Derrick Adams, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Pablo Picasso, amongst others. Now, viewers can experience an exhibition that explores memory, identity, politics, and history through the work of numerous influential contemporary Black artists.

Curated by writer, editor, and visionary Antwaun Sargent, the group exhibition features work by Kevin Beasley, Theaster Gates, Lauren Halsey, and Amanda Williams, to call a couple of. It also features an eclectic array of materials used to create works that blur the lines between figuration and abstraction. These materials carry deep conceptual and cultural meaning, transforming shapes into landscapes, cityscapes, and substantive narratives. For Sargent, the exhibition just isn’t only a showcase of gorgeous art, but in addition a celebration of the artists themselves.

“I’ve known a lot of these artists since the very beginning of my career, since I was in my twenties and they were in their twenties,” Sargent tells ESSENCE. “To see their interests and studio practices and art develop in the way that they have over the last decade has been a real gift for me as a writer and curator who has followed their work, but also as a friend who has come to know them through their work. So to be able to reconnect with them at this point in their careers and at this point in my career has been incredible.”

In addition to being an exhibition of latest abstract art as a method of exploring socially conscious themes, this is barely the primary installment of the exhibition. The second installment is about to open in Hong Kong Sept. 10 with the identical list of artists; each of them has a big body of labor, which supplies next month’s show the feel and look of a brand new exhibition. “These artists have really broad practices,” says the 2023 Lucie Award winner. “So we’re presenting different things from these artists in this particular show, again, to broaden the audience and broaden the conversation around these artists and their ideas.”

Sargent, known for his keen eye and commitment to elevating black voices within the art world, also incorporated the medium of dance into the exhibition’s opening night. The special performance was choreographed by Kyle Abraham, whose work aligns with the themes presented in . Sargent sees it as a major extension of the dialogue created by the artwork, further enriching the viewer’s experience.

“We’re always trying to expand the notion of what art is and build connections between visual art and other forms of art,” the renowned author explains. “I thought that with these kinds of group shows, it’s about grounding visual art in a larger cultural context. And also thinking about parallels and how artists from different mediums or media are thinking about these issues in some way.” By creating an exhibition that brings together so many types of nice art, it also brings together individuals with different interests and focus, which is intentional for Sargent, since the foremost goal is to create connections that reach beyond the partitions of galleries and museums, wherever they could be.

“I want to make sure that the dialogue isn’t just between artworks, but that artists are in the conversation,” Sargent says. “I really believe that as artists, the more artists we have in the conversation, thinking together, the deeper and richer the engagement we can all have as an art-consuming culture.”

may be seen at the Gagosian Cinema Beverly Hills until August 30, 2024.