Sacred and Profane: Sneed and Martiel on Black and Queer Histories at Leslie-Lohman
The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in New York hosted the exhibition 'Sacred and Profane' from 20 February to 12 April 2026, showcasing the works of artists Pamela Sneed and Carlos Martiel as they delved into Black and queer histories. In collaboration with BOFFO, the exhibition featured archival interventions, performances, and personal expressions centered on themes of spirituality, violence, memory, and survival. Sneed's research during her 2022 BOFFO residency uncovered 18th-century slave pens on Fire Island, inspiring her pieces 'Homage 1 and 2', which reflect on erased Black female identities, along with interventions related to runaway advertisements for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Martiel's endurance performances, influenced by a 2022 trip to El Salvador, incorporated spiritual elements. The opening attracted nearly 500 visitors, highlighting the exhibition's focus on restorative justice.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Sacred and Profane' was on view at Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art from 20 February to 12 April 2026.
- The show was organized in collaboration with BOFFO.
- Pamela Sneed's research focused on 18th-century slave pens on Fire Island, initiated during her 2022 BOFFO residency.
- Sneed created two silhouettes, 'Homage 1 and 2', covered in seaweed and shells, representing erased Black female bodies.
- Sneed intervened on runaway ads from Long Island, painting George Floyd and Breonna Taylor's faces over them.
- Carlos Martiel's spirituality in art was influenced by a 2022 trip to El Salvador.
- Martiel's work 'Gran Poder' explores spirituality aligned with cultural and political resistance, Candomblé, Umbanda, and Quantum Physics.
- Nearly 500 people attended the opening night of the exhibition.
- Sneed noted that Fire Island's roots are indigenous and partially Black, challenging its perception as a white queer Mecca.
- The exhibition was accompanied by an interview with ART AFRICA.
Entities
Artists
- Pamela Sneed
- Carlos Martiel
- Nona Faustine
- George Floyd
- Breonna Taylor
- Félix González-Torres
Institutions
- Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art
- BOFFO
- ART AFRICA
- Columbia University
- BOFFO Residency Fire Island
- Roots 101 African American Museum
- Brooklyn Museum
- Uncle Davey's Americana
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Fire Island
- Long Island
- Huntington
- Ghana
- Cape Coast Castle
- El Salvador
- SoHo
- New York City
- Louisville
- Kentucky
- Jacksonville
- Florida
- Cuba
- Los Angeles
- Chicago