The Observer
Grand Gallery (RA 512), Education
Introduction
The Observer is a one-hour performance that critically examines institutional access and the relationship of Black and Brown bodies to museum spaces. Wearing a garment made from repurposed black hoodies, with inspiration from Egungun and New Orleans Masquerade culture, artist Khalil McKnight (RISD BFA 2027, Painting) moves silently through the RISD Museum’s Grand Gallery. In the role of a visitor, the artist makes written assessments of the historical paintings on view, questioning the Eurocentric values of humanity they reflect. The work encourages us to question our own notions of humanity, reconsider Western hierarchies of knowing, and to more fully observe the layered and complex narratives that surround us.
Performance dates:
Sunday, March 29, 1:00-2:00 pm
Saturday, April 4, 1:00-2:00 pm
Thursday, May 14, 6:30-7:30 pm
Free. Drop In.
Artist talk: Thursday, April 16, 6:30 pm
Free. Registration Requested.
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.