Major exhibition dedicated to Senga Nengudi opens in Philadelphia
Installation view of the exhibition, Senga Nengudi: Topologies. Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo by Timothy Tiebout, 2021.
PHILADELPHIA, PA
.-The Philadelphia Museum of Art is the only East Coast venue for a major traveling exhibition devoted to Senga Nengudi, a leading figure of the 1970s Black American avant-garde and a pioneering artist of our time. Marked by her innovative use of everyday materials that range from water and sand to pantyhose and air conditioning units, Nengudis work bridges the mediums of sculpture and performance, offering a cross-disciplinary investigation into the personal experiences of the Black female body and the collective practices of community and ritual. Senga Nengudi: Topologies traces the expansive range of the artists career and context from the 1970s to today through a combination of more than 70 artworks, including sculptures, environmental installations, and archival documentation. Shown together, they affirm Nengudi's pivotal role in redefining the possibilities of sculpture and abstraction, and exemplify the continuing vitality and urgency of her practice. The exhibition is being presented in the museums Dorrance Special Exhibition Galleries and is accompanied by a major catalogue.