Edgar Arceneaux's Exhibition Explores Martin Luther King Jr. Through FBI Letter and Nobel Prize Sale
At Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles, Edgar Arceneaux's exhibition addresses two significant documents: a 1964 FBI letter, heavily redacted, that issued threats against Martin Luther King Jr., and a statement from King's daughter opposing the 2014 auction of his Nobel Peace Prize and Bible. Launched in 2014, the exhibition showcases drawings of King, illuminated vitrines displaying copies of the letters, and collaged windows reflecting on his relationships and legacy. The finale is a video installation set in a derelict Detroit church, critiquing the sanitized representations of the Civil Rights Movement. It draws on Marcel Duchamp's works to delve into the complexities of King. While Arceneaux's 2008 exhibition featured a Duchamp-inspired sculpture, this current presentation offers deeper insights into King's contradictions.
Key facts
- Edgar Arceneaux's exhibition includes an FBI letter threatening Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964
- King's daughter protested the 2014 auction of his Nobel Peace Prize and Bible
- The show features drawings, vitrines, windows with collages, and a video installation
- The video is set in an abandoned Catholic church in Detroit, Michigan
- Arceneaux's 2008 exhibition featured Giant Fractures Glass Tripod, referencing Marcel Duchamp
- The 2008 sculpture involved a skeleton painted on broken glass
- The current exhibition critiques Civil Rights museum installations
- The show opened in 2014 at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles
Entities
Artists
- Edgar Arceneaux
- Marcel Duchamp
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Institutions
- Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles
- FBI
- Underground Resistance
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Detroit
- Michigan