The Observer

In this performance, artist Khalil McKnight (RISD BFA 2027, Painting) wears a garment made from repurposed black hoodies, with inspiration from Egungun and New Orleans Masquerade culture, and silently walks galleries in the role of a visitor making written assessments of the historical paintings on view. The Observer was selected as the museum’s 2026 Dorner Prize and critically examines institutional access and the relationship of Black and Brown bodies to museum spaces.

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The Dorner Prize is an annual juried competition that invites RISD student artists and designers to create new installations, performances, programs, or digital encounters that engage the public by using the RISD Museum’s object collections, public spaces, and digital platforms. The Dorner Prize, named for distinguished early 20th-century RISD Museum director Alexander Dorner, is made possible by a generous anonymous gift.