'GIANTS' ART FROM THE DEAN COLLECTION OF SWIZZ BEATZ AND ALICIA KEYS, HIGH MUSEUM OF ART, ATLANTA
‘(O you) whose natures are secret, do not turn me back. Those (of you) who are on their bellies, do not let the eye swallow its tears. (O) silent one, open for me what is sealed. Give a good path to me (so that) I may pass.’
[Extract from Chapter 64B: the specialized knowledge the deceased claims to have/ An Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead/ The Papyrus of Sobekmose]
200.7 x 195.6 cm, Monotype print on canvas, screenprint applications, embroidery, hand stitched, 2022
GIANTS
HIGH MUSEUM OF ART
September 13, 2024 – January 19, 2025
Atlanta, USA
The High will be the exclusive venue in the Southeastern United States to present the first major exhibition of the world-class art collection owned by musical and cultural icons Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean) and Alicia Keys.
Organized by the Brooklyn Museum, where it debuted in February, Giants will feature a focused selection from the couple’s holdings, spotlighting works by multigenerational Black diasporic artists, from 20th century legends such as Nick Cave, Lorna Simpson, and Barkley L. Hendricks, to artists of a younger generation including Deana Lawson, Amy Sherald, and Ebony G. Patterson, who are expanding the legacies of those who came before them.
Giants stands as a testament to the Deans’ ethos of “collecting and preserving the culture of ourselves for ourselves, now and into the future.” Through approximately 115 objects, including 98 major artworks, the exhibition will trace the evolution of an audacious and ambitious collection and explore the ways in which the featured artists and their work have grappled with societal issues, embraced monumentality, and made a palpable impact on the art canon. In addition to paintings, photographs, and sculptures, the galleries will include noteworthy examples of the Deans’ early non-art collecting interests, including albums, musical equipment, and BMX bikes, along with related ephemera.
Curator : Kimberli Gants, Modern and Contemporary Art, Co-Curator : Indira A. Abiskaroon, Modern and Contemporary Art