Singular Visions at Rubell Museum DC

Yesterday was a gray day, A bit of color was needed to spice it up. A visit to the Rubell Museum DC did the job. As soon as I entered its grand entry hallway, I was met by the fascinating work/exhibit of Alexandre Diop: Jooba Jubba, l’Art du Defi, the Art of Challenge. A must-see exhibition that brings you Diop's magnificent work. Alexandre Diop, a young artist born in 1995 in Paris, France and currently residing in Vienna, Austria, is a French-Senegalese artist (Senegalese father, and French mother). Diop's work is large, encompassing a variety of challenging concepts and life matters. The work is executed through a number of multi-media assemblages such as oil, pastel, wood, textile, dismantled furniture, cans, books and other materials. Diop's art showcases what the youth face in our day and age such as in the case of his artwork titled "Mondo Carne" 2022 which translates to "Dog World". Diop's message throughout his work is how the current young generation is in constant conflicts. Besides the artist tackling the subject of diaspora and slavery, Diop becomes a voice for the young and their struggles in a world filled with virtual reality, commercialism and hypocrisy. Diop states that his art, "shows you what life is like around the globe while you enjoy your $2-dollar extra shot in your venti Starbucks Coffee." He goes on to state that his work is about reaching a global audience towards a global dialogue where "everyone is respected" exclaiming that his "works are always an invitation to make peace, to gather, to talk, even if the topics are violent, difficult." In a sense, Diop's work, especially "Mondo Carne" reminds me of Picasso's most known and notable work "Guernica" 1937 - A work regarded as one of the most powerful anti-war paintings in history and a monumental symbol of protest. One can also see how art history along with history have shaped and influenced Diop's work. Besides in my opinion the relationship to works such as "Guernica" by Pablo Picasso, one sees a modern take to French artist, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’s painting "Grande Odalisque" of 1814 in Diop's nude figurative painting titled similarly "La Grande Odalisque", 2021. Both works elongate the figure's proportions. Besides Ingres and Picasso, I see a good amount of Jean-Michel Basquiat, American artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent, whose work much like Diop engages one in a visual dialogue presented through painting, collage and words to comment on the world while exploring themes of race, self-identity, and morality. Diop's work screams and almost cries in its visuals of bursts of color and words urging the viewers to enter the artist's world that is full of ideas and search towards the discovery of the self along with the call of breaking free from social conventions. In this sense, one can say Alexandre Diop is our modern day living Basquiat drawing from his racial identity and ancestral background to speak through his art to the youth pressing them to go beyond the material, the artificial realities, virtual reality and modern technology. And, if the world doesn't wake up, unfortunately Diop warns that humankind will fall into a giant catastrophe. Diop's work is an imperative call for a detour to recapture a bit of what is left of our souls before we become addicted zombies to our own modern technologies. The Rubells who are very smart art collectors always seek in their discoveries of presenting artists to us who not only exude an abundant amount of excellence and talent but bring forth pressing messages that befall all of us. Beyond the monumental work of Diop in the grand entry, as you go up the stairs to the left is another artist I found fascinating. The figurative artist, Amoako Boafo is originally from Ghana, and currently lives and works in Vienna like Alexander Diop. Boafo's work is figurative where one sees a singular figure be it his own self-portrait or his friends in his portrayal of "African Figurative Modern Art”. Boafo states that the primary idea of his practice is "documenting, celebrating and showing new ways to approach blackness." One can clearly see in Boafo's figurative work his admiration and inspiration from late Austrian expressionist painter, Egon Schiele, whose figurative work is noted for its intensity and its raw explorations of the psyche surrounding the figure. Boafo's execution of the flesh in my opinion presents a rawness as well. Almost worm-like strokes in motion are implemented to capture the flesh. The painterly brown circular worm-like strokes make Boafo's work stand out from the rest, almost shadowing the other figurative work presented in the remaining rooms. These strokes transcend the figures themselves and even the narrative presented, and swallow you in their spherical motions. In these swirl flesh patterns, the painting becomes a living mechanism expressing the whirlwind of thoughts that encompass the mind. And, due to only and mainly this, Boafo's work is elevated to a whole new level. Both Diop and Boafo were artists-in-residence at Rubell museum.

I also was caught by Jenny Holzer's work at the museum. Holzer's work is a fixture in Rubell museums. The plaque that is hung in the lower level of the museum is very minimal and almost hidden in its location. One can easily pass by the plaque and not even notice that it is part of the museum's art collection. Very true to Holzer's style, ultra simplicity defines her conceptual work. Yet, the message is anything but simple. The plaque reads "PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT" - poignant along being a call for help in a few words. Here language becomes the art urging for a critical look at fundamental topics of our human existence questioning our roles in society along with blurring the lines of the layers between private vs. public life. The aluminum plaque done in 1983-1985 measures at 6" x 10" inches.

Another work that captivated my attention is by South African artist William Kentridge titled "Felix in Exile" which is an animated film done in 1994. The film is mainly produced from the artist's charcoal drawings in projections that delve into the narrative of the political realities through which the artist delivers his views of post-apartheid South Africa.
Singular Views: 25 Artists and Alexandre Diop's Art du Defi, the Art of Challenge, are currently on exhibit at Rubell Museum DC through Oct 2024. https://rubellmuseum.org/dc

We the DC/DMV folks have to thank Mera and Don Rubell for bringing their unique vision and collection and sharing with us the talented contemporary artists they discover and present through their museum and art collection.