Nine New York Exhibitions Explore Blackness, Afrofuturism, and Black History

A thematic roundup of nine current and recent exhibitions in New York City focuses on Blackness, Afrofuturism, and Black history. The shows, reviewed by Liam Otero for Art & Ponder, include both ongoing and closed presentations, many tied to Black History Month. Current exhibitions feature Lilian Thomas Burwell's retrospective 'The Journey' at Berry Campbell Gallery through March 14, 2026, showcasing her abstract paintings and wall sculptures linked to the Washington Color School. Noel W. Anderson's 'Courtside Sermon' at Harper's, on view until April 4, 2026, presents large tapestries depicting athletes and musicians like Nina Simone and James Brown. The two-person show 'Conditions of Inheritance' with Bobby K. Hill and Coby Kennedy at L'Space Gallery runs through April 11, 2026, exploring familial and community resilience. John Akomfrah's multi-channel video work 'Listening All Night to the Rain,' originally from the 2024 Venice Biennale, is at Lisson Gallery until April 25, 2026. Past exhibitions include 'Black, Contemporary, Folk Art' curated by Darlene Deloris at El Barrio Artspace (February 4-28, 2026), featuring 15 artists like Colleen Coleman and Watson Mere. Gideon Appah's 'Beneath Night and Day' was at Pace Gallery (January 16-February 28, 2026), with paintings inspired by Ghanaian beach life. Jacob Rochester's 'Input / Output' at Plato Gallery (January 16-March 7, 2026) focused on music and community. ACA Galleries presented 'Continuum: Over 100 Years of Black Art' (January 16-March 7, 2026), spanning from Robert S. Duncanson to Romare Bearden. The Afrofuturist 'social dreamspace' 'Futures of Repair' at Intelligent Mischief in Williamsburg ran from July 25, 2025, to March 10, 2026, with works by Alisha B. Wormsley and others.