At a glance
These works use non-representational forms not to escape the world, but as a deliberate political language for navigating social and historical realities.
Meet the artist
Why go
It maps the evolution of Black abstraction by pairing pathbreaking figures from the late 1960s with today’s leading voices, showing how non-figurative art addresses urgent power structures.
You'll see
Historical and contemporary painting · Sculptural installations · Video and sound works · Postwar abstraction · Over forty international artists
Pace of visit
Expect a high concentration of complex works across multiple mediums that require significant attention.
Artlovers Tip
Because of the high density and conceptual weight of this show, plan to visit PS1 specifically for it rather than combining it with another major exhibition like Teresa Margolles.
Inside the exhibition
Hard Art at MoMA PS1 in Queens, New York, examines how Black artists have historically used abstraction as a tool for political expression. The exhibition moves beyond traditional interpretations of the genre, presenting non-objective art as a direct response to social reality rather than a withdrawal from it.
The selection brings together more than forty artists, featuring significant works by Frank Bowling, Ed Clark, and Howardena Pindell alongside contemporary pieces by Jack Whitten, Julie Mehretu, and Torkwase Dyson. Visitors will encounter a wide range of media, including large-scale paintings, sculptural installations, video works, and sound environments that trace these rigorous practices from 1969 to the present day.
By positioning abstraction as a hard political language, the show challenges the idea that political art must be figurative to be effective. It offers a dense, scholarly look at how postwar techniques continue to inform the way modern artists engage with history, power, and identity within the museum space.
Worth travelling for?
A rigorous and demanding exhibition for those interested in the intersections of Black history, political theory, and the evolution of non-figurative art.
Experience as an Artlover
The exhibition is located at MoMA PS1 in Queens; consult the official venue website for specific admission details and current opening hours for the galleries.
