The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) is showcasing a new group exhibition that explores the influence of Ancient Egypt on Black artists over the past 150 years. Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now presents a range of works housed in the institution’s collection, alongside pieces loaned out from around the world, sparking a dialogue from disparate points in recent memory, from the 19th century and the Harlem Renaissance to contemporary art and music today.
Perhaps more than any other ancient civilization, Egyptian lore holds a special resonance within pop culture, such as the mysteries surrounding the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza to queens Cleopatra and Nefertiti. The latter figure has been a focal point in the practice of Ethiopian-American artist Awol Erizku, whose shimmering disco ball in the bust of the ancient figure probes into themes of reclamation as it pertains to critiquing Eurocentric narratives and post-colonial histories. “It’s about a deeper lineage of what we’re told and taught in school,” Erizku told Hypebeast Magazine for Issue 34, adding that it blew his mind upon visiting Egypt only to learn that a famous bust of Nefertiti is housed in a Berlin museum. “What the f*ck is she doing in Berlin!?”
Forging a fruitful dialogue, the exhibition features works by both African-American and Egyptian artists, including Imman Issa and Ghada Amer, modernist figures Aaron Douglas and Laura Wheeler Waring, to prominent and emerging cultural luminaries in Lauren Halsey, Rashid Johnson, Beyoncé and Alice Coltrane. In fact, performance is one of the central aspects of the show. Curated by Akili Tommasino and McClain Groff, in collaboration with MetLiveArts, the “Performance Pyramid” will chronicle the history of Black performance art, as it pertains to themes related to Egyptian subject matter, as well as present live performances on key dates throughout the run of the exhibition.
Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now presents over 200 works and will be on view in New York until February 17, 2025.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 5th Ave,
New York, NY 10028
