Imagining Black Diasporas: 21st-Century Art and Poetics finds aesthetic connections among 60 artists working in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The exhibition and its catalogue are among the first to examine nearly a quarter century of production by Black artists. The project debuts new acquisitions for LACMA and expands the Pan-African exhibition canon, historically focused on the Black Atlantic, by showcasing artists working along the Pacific Rim. Nearly 70 works of painting, sculpture, photography, works on paper, and time-based media are organized into four themes: speech and silence, movement and transformation, imagination, and representation. Contemporary poets contributed original work to the catalogue, extending the historical use of poetry in Pan-African discourse. Diaspora’s general definition as a displacement from origins excludes all the creativity the term entails. People reinvent their heritage through artistic expressions, transforming diaspora from regional movement into a wellspring of imagination. Through an analysis of Black artists’ aesthetic choices, Imagining Black Diasporas reveals their insights about existence.

Location: BCAM, Level 2

Museum Admission:

People Residing in L.A. County with Valid ID:
Members - Free
After 3 pm, Mon–Fri - Free
Youth (2 & under) - Free
Youth (3–12) - Free
Teens (13–17) - Free
Adults - $23
Seniors (65+ with ID) - $19
Students (18+ with ID) - $19
Visitor with Disability - $19

People Residing Outside L.A. County
Members - Free
After 3 pm, Mon–Fri - $28
Youth (2 & under) - Free
Youth (3–12) - $13
Teens (13–17) - $13
Adults - $28
Seniors (65+ with ID) - $24
Students (18+ with ID) - $24
Visitor with Disability - $24