John Akomfrah's 'The Hour Of The Dog' at Menil Collection
John Akomfrah's video installation, 'The Hour Of The Dog,' is currently on display at the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas, until October 11, 2026. This 51-minute piece, commissioned by both the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Menil Collection, delves into the youth-led Civil Rights demonstrations in the American South. Under the subtitle 'Five Parables on Fugitivity and Trespass,' the work merges contemporary visuals with historical footage, showcasing scenes of cotton fields, anti-segregation protests, and notable mugshots of Freedom Riders, including the young John Lewis, aged 21. The installation also incorporates archival clips of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and George Wallace’s infamous 'segregation forever' address, alongside four artworks from the Menil Collection, promoting a Pan-Africanist vision of transnational liberation.
Key facts
- John Akomfrah's 'The Hour Of The Dog' is on view at the Menil Collection, Houston, through October 11, 2026.
- The installation is a six-screen video work, 50 minutes and 37 seconds long.
- It was commissioned by the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Menil Collection.
- The work is structured as 'Five Parables on Fugitivity and Trespass'.
- It includes archival footage of Civil Rights protests and mugshots of Freedom Riders, including a 21-year-old John Lewis.
- The title references the Chinese Zodiac's Hour of the Dog, a twilight threshold.
- A narrated refrain from Carlo Rovelli's 'The Order of Time' is repeated throughout.
- The installation is accompanied by artworks from the Menil Collection, including a Kongo nkisi figure, René Magritte's 'The Dominion of Light', and Andy Warhol's 'Little Race Riot'.
Entities
Artists
- John Akomfrah
- René Magritte
- Andy Warhol
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- John Lewis
- George Wallace
- Carlo Rovelli
- Elissa Blount Moorhead
Institutions
- Menil Collection
- Baltimore Museum of Art
- Smoking Dogs Films
- Lisson Gallery
- Artists Rights Society (ARS)
- Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
Locations
- Houston
- Texas
- Jackson
- Mississippi
- United States
Sources
- Burnaway —