Charles Gaines Discusses 'The Theater of Refusal' in Afterall Talk
On April 18, 2023, artist Charles Gaines participated in the 17th Exhibition Histories discussion alongside Afterall editor Louis Hartnoll and researcher John Tain. They explored 'The Theater of Refusal: Black Art and Mainstream Criticism,' an exhibition originally held at the University of California, Irvine in 1993, which later toured. Proposed by Gaines in 1989, the exhibition highlighted structural racism by contrasting works from African-American artists with how they were received by mainstream critics. This event was part of the Exhibition Histories initiative by Afterall, in collaboration with the Asia Art Archive and the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College. A video of the discussion can be found online, and it was co-hosted with Whitechapel Gallery and the International Curators Forum.
Key facts
- Charles Gaines was in conversation with Louis Hartnoll and John Tain on April 18, 2023.
- The talk was the 17th in the Exhibition Histories series by Afterall.
- The discussion focused on 'The Theater of Refusal: Black Art and Mainstream Criticism'.
- The exhibition took place at UC Irvine in 1993 before traveling.
- Gaines first proposed the exhibition in 1989.
- The exhibition juxtaposed works by African-American artists with mainstream criticism.
- The talk is part of the Exhibition Histories project by Afterall.
- The event was a collaboration with Whitechapel Gallery and the International Curators Forum.
- The project is published in association with Asia Art Archive and the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College.
- A video recording of the talk is available online.
Entities
Artists
- Charles Gaines
Institutions
- Afterall
- University of California, Irvine
- Whitechapel Gallery
- International Curators Forum
- Asia Art Archive
- Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College
- Fine Arts Gallery, University of California, Irvine
- Koenig Books
Locations
- London
- Hong Kong
- Annandale-on-Hudson
- United Kingdom
- Irvine
- California
- United States
- New York