Radical Love

Through the theme of Utopian Imagination, the trilogy of exhibitions in the gallery’s inaugural year create a trajectory toward a more just future. The first exhibition, Perilous Bodies (March 4 – May 11, 2019), examined injustice through the intersecting lens of violence, race, gender, ethnicity, and class. Radical Love responds to the first show by offering love as the answer to a world in peril.

Love, in the context of this exhibition, is defined by a commitment to the spiritual growth and interconnectedness of the individual, their community, and stewardship of the planet. Guided by the powerful words of bell hooks, “Were we all seeing more images of loving human interaction, it would undoubtedly have a positive impact on our lives.” The works in Radical Love are grounded in ideas of devotion, abundance, and beauty; here, otherness and marginality is celebrated, adorned, and revered.

The Utopian Imagination exhibition trilogy concept was developed by Jaishri Abichandani.

Essays from the curators

Radical Love by Jaishri Abichandani

An Ode to Love by Natasha Becker

Image: Athi-Patra Ruga, Umesiyakazi in Waiting, 2015. Courtesy of the artist and WHATIFTHEWORLD. Photo: Hayden Phipps

Gallery hours:
Monday – Saturday 11am-6pm

Ford Foundation Gallery
320 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017
Visitor info

Exhibition installation information

Radical Love Exhibit Entrance — All photos: Sebastian Bach

La Vaughn Belle & Jeannette Ehlers

b. 1974, Trinidad/Virgin Islands;
b. 1973, Trinidad/Denmark
I Am Queen Mary (A Hybrid of Bodies, Nations, and Narratives), 2019
HDU foam, acrylic polyurethane, acrylic, and coral stones cut from the ocean by enslaved Africans
84 x 47 x 60 inches

Bradley Mccallum & Jacqueline Tarry

b. 1966, USA; b. 1963, USA
Evidence of Things Not Seen, 2008
Oil on linen, toner on silk
Dimensions variable

Athi-Patra Ruga

b. 1984, South Africa
Umesiyakazi in Waiting, 2015
Archival inkjet print
59 x 75 inches

Lina Puerta

b. 1969, Colombia/USA
Mēãbema, from the Botánico series, 2019
Mixed media
Dimensions variable

Maria Berrio

b. 1982, Colombia/USA
Nativity, 2014
Collage with Japanese paper, acrylic and watercolor paint, pencil, and rhinestones
48 x 60 inches

Ebony G. Patterson

b. 1981, Jamaica/USA
… she saw things she shouldn’t have … for those who bear/bare witness, 2018
Jacquard-woven tapestry and mixed media on artist-designed fabric wallpaper
111 × 94 inches

Faith Ringgold

b. 1930, USA
Evelyn, 1978
Soft sculpture
35 1/2 x 8 x 8 inches

Suzanne, 1977
Soft sculpture
26 x 8 x 8 inches

Yvonne, 1978
Soft sculpture
36 x 8 x 8 inches

Rashaad Newsome

b. 1979, USA
1st Place, 2016
Collage in custom frame with leather and automotive paint
72 ¼ x 72 ¼ x 4 inches

Look Back at It, 2016
Collage in custom frame with leather and automotive paint
80 3/8 x 78 3/4 x 8 inches

Jungle Gardenia, 2013
Custom vinyl wallpaper
(not pictured)

Baseera Khan

b. 1989, USA
Seat #14 [Feat.] and Seat #13 [Feat.], 2018
Prayer rugs, artist’s underwear, textiles
45 x 28 x 3 1/2 inches each

Jah Grey

b. 1991, Canada
Dancing in the Light, 2018
Video, 18:20 minutes

Jody Paulsen

b. 1987, South Africa
Find Your Gaggle, 2019
Felt collage
108 x 150 inches

Sue Austin

b. 1965, England
Creating the Spectacle!
Part 1: Finding Freedom, 2012
Video, 4:25 minutes

Thania Petersen

b. 1980, South Africa
IQRAA, 2019
Embroidery thread and fringe on cotton
69 x 42 inches

Raúl de Nieves

b. 1983, Mexico/USA
Fina Beauty and Fina Nurture, 2019
Vintage military suits, sequins, metal bells, thread, glue, cardboard, plastic beads, tape, trims, mannequins
Dimensions variable

Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt

b. 1948, USA
The Preying Hands: In a Little Corner Chapel to Mammon in the Cathedral of Moloch, Greed Makes Human Sacrifice Expedient Upon the Altar of Racism, Displacement and Gentrification, 1985
Mixed-media installation
Dimensions variable

Lina Iris Viktor

b. USA/England
Eleventh, 2018
24-karat gold, acrylic, ink, gouache, copolymer resin, print on matte canvas
65 x 50 inches

Vanessa German

b. 1976, USA
Notes on the Absence of Sacredness: How Little Black Girls Die, 2018
Mixed-media assemblage
77 x 30 x 18 inches

Nep Sidhu

b. 1978, England/Canada
Confirmation B, 2014
Ink on paper, aluminum, brass
90 x 90 x 5 inches

Rose B. Simpson

b. 1983, USA
Genesis Squared, 2019
Ceramic, steel, mixed media
81 ½ x 23 x 23 inches

Omar Victor Diop

b. 1980, Senegal
The Ibo Women’s War 1929, from the Liberty series, 2016
Inkjet print on Hahnemühle paper
47 x 64 inches

Imani Uzuri | Hush Arbor: Wade (1, 2 & 3), 2019 | Site-specific sound installation

Rose B. Simpson

b. USA
Hush Arbor: Wade (1, 2 & 3), 2019
Site-specific sound installation

Essays from the curators

More from this exhibition

Curator-led tour: August 17

Curator-led tour: July 13

Exhibition opening: Radical Love

Curator-led tour: July 10

Curator-led tour: June 15