I love it when a plan comes together. In November, I saw Dr. Kenneth Montague speak about The Wedge Collection, his privately-owned contemporary art collection focusing on exploring African diasporic culture and contemporary Black life. The collection is one of the largest of its kind in Canada. The collection lends works to international traveling exhibitions. Currently The Wedge Collection has partnered with The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and A4 Art Foundation for the exhibition Crossing Night: Regional Identities x Global Context. The exhibition presents work that addresses the concerns, thoughts, and desires of contemporary artists from the Southern African region as they grapple with the legacy of post-colonial structures. It closes February 2, 2020. I casually mentioned to some friends that I’d like to see the show and our “we should do that” talks played out. There was some concern from family and friends about crossing the border in this political climate, but thankfully we didn’t experience any issue going to the US or coming back. We did have a good laugh (after we drove through) at the border agent who asked why we were going to the US and then seemed surprised that we were going to visit cultural institutions. He asked us why we would want to do that.
Our Airbnb was within walking distance of Downtown Detroit. Saturday afternoon and evening were spent exploring Downtown Detroit on foot. One of the first things we noticed were groups of seemingly abandoned e scooters on the streets, in the middle of sidewalks, and in alleyways. Seriously, they are everywhere. We also noticed that Detroit has beautiful architecture and a lot of cool murals. If you’re looking for a good place to eat and drink, try Townhouse. Shout out to Dre and John for the A+ service.
On Sunday we visited The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) and Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). The Richard Prince: Portraits exhibition at MOCAD closed a week before our arrival and I’m not sad that we missed it. Richard Prince is known for his controversial appropriation art. MOCAD defended showing Prince’s work and director Elysia Borowy-Reeder said there were no plans to censor the entire exhibition. “Anyone who undertakes a Richard Prince show understands that some visitors may have difficulty with the work. We invite their perspectives and further discussions about Richard’s artwork.”
Crossing Night was a beautifully curated show featuring photographs, video, and multimedia installations. Here are some of my favourites from the exhibition.
Kyle Weeks. Vezepaumwe Hembinda, 26 and Vapwakuapi Thom, 18
Binelde Hrycan. Top: The Computer Is Sodade Bottom: F##K Its Too Late
Sir Professor Zanele Muholi. Bona Charlottesville
Lebohang Kganye. Top: Setupung Sa Kwana Hae II, Re Shapa Setepe Sa Lenyalo II. Bottom: Ke Bala Buka Ke Apere Naeterese II, KA 2-Phisi Yaka E Pinky II
Jody Brand. Moffie In Irma’s Garden
Pieter Hugo, The Journey
The second exhibition at MOCAD was Robolights Detroit, a site-specific installation created for the lawn of Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead at MOCAD by artist Kenny Irwin, Jr. A companion exhibition featuring sci-fi themed pen and ink drawings by Irwin was exhibited inside of the Mobile Homestead. Mobile Homestead is a permanent artwork by the late artist Mike Kelley. Located on the grounds of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, it is a full-scale replica of the home in which Kelley grew up: a single-story, ranch-style house in the Detroit suburb of Westland. Kelley sought to ensure that the Mobile Homestead remain relevant to the cultural interests and concerns of its local communities.
The original Robolights was constructed by Irwin over the course of thirty-three years on the grounds of his childhood home in Palm Springs, California. Originally conceived in 1986 as a seasonal holiday light display, Irwin felt compelled to continue working on Robolights year-round and across decades. Museum staff informed us that Robolights Detroit was built with a lot of donated materials and the artist adapted the project as items came in. This installation could easily be a commentary on how much junk we produce and how we really should attempt to live more sustainable lives. The exhibition text notes that Irwin takes pride in making good use of materials that are otherwise destined for a landfill and he hopes his work will inspire others to think about reusing objects in creative ways.
Next stop was DIA. The building itself is a work of art.
I hadn’t looked at their website until the morning of our visit, but when I did, I knew that I’d be spending my time in the special exhibition, Detroit Collects: Selections Of African American Art From Private Collections. The exhibition reflects artworks from 19 private collections located in the Metro Detroit region. Some of them have never been on public view. I enjoyed reading the reasons the collectors gave as to why they collected. Some collect so that younger generations can see themselves reflected in art, others collect to make sure that African American artists are recognized for their impact on the art world. I’ll share my favourites from this exhibition in a moment, but first, Kehinde. I’m always amazed by his work but seeing a piece in person was something else. It’s not a piece you can just walk past. It commands your attention.
Kehinde Wiley, Officer of the Hussars
Nick Cave, Soundsuit
Robert S. Duncanson, Flight of the Eagle
Mario Moore, Mom Says I’m Her Sun
Richard Hunt, Flintlock Fantasy
Alvin Loving, Mozambique II
Allie McGhee, Kagoshima
Brenda Dendy Stroud, Ancestors by the Water’s Edge
In my mind I’m already planning another to Detroit to see the rest of the places on our list we didn’t get to. It’s about a four hour drive from Toronto, so if you have good company, good tunes, and good snacks, it’s worth a trip. Have you ever traveled to see art? I’d love to hear where you’ve been. Share your recommendations in the comments.
Story by Glodeane Brown
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