Julie Mehretu on the Guggenheim Collection

Julie Mehretu is one of six contemporary artists invited to explore the Guggenheim’s collection as a curator of the exhibition "Artistic License: Six Takes on the Guggenheim Collection." She says, “I was trying to mine and see what artists are in the collection that weren’t of European descent, and trying to see what did the collection look like from artists of the Global South and from artists of color.” For her presentation, "Cry Gold and See Black," Mehretu selected works that contemplate or respond to trauma or catastrophe, especially in the post-World War II era. By examining past periods of upheaval, Mehretu explores how to navigate similar tensions and struggles that are apparent in our world today.
"Artistic License: Six Takes on the Guggenheim Collection" is on view through January 12, 2020, at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Learn more at www.guggenheim.org/artisticlicense