Arthur Jafa on Readymade Art, Venice Shows, and Art Basel Award
Arthur Jafa, born in 1960 in Tupelo, Mississippi, is a revered artist who emerged from cinema into the art world. His reputation soared in 2016 with the video "Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death," a collage of found footage addressing police violence and Black joy, first shown at Gavin Brown's Enterprise in New York. In 2019, his film "The White Album" won the Golden Lion for Best Artist at the Venice Biennale. Currently, Jafa is in Venice for a two-person show "Helter Skelter" at the Prada Foundation, curated by Nancy Spector, pairing him with Richard Prince. The exhibition opened alongside the Venice Biennale and was a must-see event. Jafa also curated "Less Is Morbid" at the Museum of Modern Art, a dense display of his favorite works. He is a winner of this year's Art Basel Award, to be honored at the fair. Jafa discussed his art, art history, and future plans in an interview.
Key facts
- Arthur Jafa born 1960 in Tupelo, Mississippi.
- Jafa's video 'Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death' debuted in 2016 at Gavin Brown's Enterprise.
- 'The White Album' won Golden Lion for Best Artist at 2019 Venice Biennale.
- Two-person show 'Helter Skelter' at Prada Foundation in Venice, curated by Nancy Spector, pairs Jafa with Richard Prince.
- Jafa curated 'Less Is Morbid' at Museum of Modern Art.
- Jafa is a winner of this year's Art Basel Award.
- Jafa came up through cinema before entering the art world.
- Jafa's work includes difficult video and strange objects.
Entities
Artists
- Arthur Jafa
- Richard Prince
Institutions
- Gavin Brown's Enterprise
- Venice Biennale
- Prada Foundation
- Museum of Modern Art
- Art Basel
Locations
- Tupelo
- Mississippi
- New York
- Venice