Black Melancholia exhibition at CCS Bard explores blues aesthetics and Black trauma through 28 artists

The Hessel Museum of Art at CCS Bard in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, is hosting the exhibition Black Melancholia until October 16. This showcase includes 28 artists of African descent, delving into the theme of melancholy within the Black experience, drawing on insights from scholars such as Stephen Best and Joseph Winters. Upon entering through cerulean glass doors, guests find themselves in an azure gallery filled with twentieth-century artworks depicting Black individuals in reflective stances. Notable sculptures featured are William E. Artis's The Quiet One (1951) and Selma Burke's Despair (1955–67). Ja'Tovia Gary's video collage Giverny I (2017) juxtaposes Monet's gardens with footage of Philando Castile's 2016 police killing, linking historical trauma to ongoing issues of police violence and systemic racism.