The Black Atlantic

An illuminating exhibition at Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP) details how the Black experience in America is a multifaceted one, to say the least. In a panel discussion hosted at the Cooper Union to coincide with the opening of The Black Atlantic, participating artists Leilah Babirye, Hugh Hayden, Dozie Kanu, and Kiyan Williams shared and discussed their work with adjunct curator Daniel S. Palmer.

Particularly moving were Kanu’s comments on his experience as “not only [being] Black in America, but being a first generation American from Africa.” Kanu, who has Nigerian roots, reflected on the responsibility of lifting loved ones back home out of poverty, and poignantly, how his work is received there. As he put it, “sculptures in the U.S. are real, used objects in Africa.”

Among the highlights of the discussion was the way the artists conveyed the freedom they found in the BBP venue, as opposed to a traditional gallery. They spoke fondly of seeing visitors engaging freely with the pieces—not only seeing the sculptures, but also touching them. “You can’t really do that with a painting,” said Hayden, quickly followed by Palmer’s emphasis: “Or in a museum.”