Nick Cave and Marie Watt Unveil Obama Center Commission
Nick Cave and Marie Watt have created a collaborative multimedia textile installation for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park, set to open on Juneteenth. Titled "This Land, Shared Sky," the 15-by-45-foot work will hang in the Center's lobby. The Center also features commissions by Jenny Holzer, Jack Pierson, Kiki Smith, and Idris Khan. Cave and Watt, who had never collaborated before, were paired by independent advisor Virginia Shore. Their piece incorporates tin jingles referencing Anishinaabe healing traditions and explores themes of migration, land, and ancestry. The artists assembled the work in Chicago in February 2026.
Key facts
- Nick Cave and Marie Watt created a collaborative installation for the Obama Presidential Center.
- The work is titled 'This Land, Shared Sky' and measures 15 by 45 feet.
- The Obama Presidential Center is located in Chicago's Jackson Park and opens on Juneteenth.
- The Center's permanent collection includes works by Jenny Holzer, Jack Pierson, Kiki Smith, and Idris Khan.
- Virginia Shore, an independent advisor and curator, initiated the collaboration between Cave and Watt.
- Cave had never collaborated with another artist before this project.
- The installation incorporates tin jingles referencing Anishinaabe jingle dress healing traditions.
- The artists assembled the piece in Chicago in February 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Nick Cave
- Marie Watt
- Jenny Holzer
- Jack Pierson
- Kiki Smith
- Idris Khan
- Richard Hunt
Institutions
- Obama Presidential Center
- CULTURED
- Denver Art Museum
Locations
- Chicago
- Jackson Park
- Portland
- Oregon