#247: Anti-Racist Black Square

Oil on linen.  A black square with white border painted on a square canvas.  Etched into the black paint of the square are the words: “What we want is no one fighting in any place or at any time and we will take steps to ensure an anti-racist future, a future where discrimination does not exist.” 

And so what will I do next?

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Resource List:

Dunne, Carey (2016) Art Historians Find Racist Joke Hidden Under Malevich’s “Black Square”. Available at: https://hyperallergic.com/253361/art-historian-finds-racist-joke-hidden-under-malevichs-black-square/. 

Grovier, Kelly (2018) The racist message hidden in a masterpiece. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180312-the-racist-message-hidden-in-a-masterpiece (Accessed: 1st April 2023).

Shatskikh, Aleksandra (2017) Inscribed Vandalism: The Black Square at One Hundred. Available at: https://www.e-flux.com/journal/85/155475/inscribed-vandalism-the-black-square-at-one-hundred/ (Accessed: 30th March 2023).

Spira, Andrew (2022) Precedents of the Unprecedented: Black Squares Before Malevich. Available at: https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/black-squares-before-malevich/ (Accessed: 31st March 2023).

Tolstaya, Tatyana (2015) The Square. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-square (Accessed: 21st February 2024).

Vakar, Irina (2019) New Information Concerning The Black Square in Lodder, Christina (2019) Celebrating Suprematism : New Approaches to the Art of Kazimir Malevich. Available at: https://web.p.ebscohost.com/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzE5MjM5ODRfX0FO0?sid=06827ef3-d2a0-45f7-a118-ea34aa1fcade@redis&vid=5&format=EB&lpid=lp_11&rid=0 (Accessed: 31st March 2023).

von Zinnenburg Carroll, Khadija and Gusejnova, Dina (2017) Malevich’s Black Square under X-ray: A dialogue on race, revolution and art history. Available at: http://www.thirdtext.org/malevich-blacksquare (Accessed: 30th March 2023).

Wikipedia page before Pencil inscriptions section was removed: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_Square&oldid=1218618957 (Accessed: 15th July 2024).

#245: A hot drink will make it all better

A simple picture of a mug with steam lines above accompanied by the words: A hot drink will make it all better all in upper case.

#243: Self-portrait with TV and living room (Self-portrait XIX)

A portrait of you in your living room with the TV (if you have one) on.  

What is playing on the TV?  

What else is in the room?  

How much of you is in the room?  

How does each item in the portrait represent you?

#242: You're beautiful

#239: Your Imaginary Art Space

A space on a wall is marked with masking tape.  Underneath this, centrally, is a panel with the following text and a QR code to take you to an accompanying website: 

This is your own Imaginary Art Space: think about what you would like to see here right now and just imagine it…

It could be a landscape, a portrait (self- or a group-), a memory, an idea using the making space theme of this exhibition? …

or you could use a different prompt - check today’s headlines, listen to a song, look around the room for inspiration -

or you could even scan the QR code for more ideas (https://yourimaginaryartspace.blogspot.com/ - this pool will grow as the exhibition carries on)

Just think of something to fill this space and place it above by using your imagination.

Whatever you do, however or whatever you imagine, it will be a unique experience and a one of a kind artwork.

Feel free to share your own prompt or a description of your idea using #imaginaryartspace

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Unentered idea for the 2024 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the theme of which was making space.

Click here for a background twitter thread.

#238: Idea comfort blanket

To help you deal with how uncomfortable things are.  A cloaking device for your mind.

#237: Your Shadow(s) (After Robert Rauschenberg)

One very large white monochrome painting is on the wall.  A spotlight is trained on the painting and the viewer is encouraged to stand between the light and the painting.  The spotlight can be moved around the space and gels are available to change the colour of the light - or the viewer can use their own light source.  The viewer is also encouraged to use props and record their work with photographs or video.