Rashid Johnson's 'A Poem for Deep Thinkers' at Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

Rashid Johnson's exhibition 'A Poem for Deep Thinkers' is on view at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth through September 27, 2026. The show's title derives from an essay by Amiri Baraka calling intellectuals to engage with the real world. Johnson's works incorporate materials like black soap, shea butter, books, plants, and mirrors to explore themes of freedom, identity, and care. Key pieces include 'Falling Man' (2016), a broken-mirror figure on burned wood referencing Frantz Fanon's 'Black Skin, White Masks'; 'Antoine's Organ' (2016/2026), a two-story steel structure filled with plants, books, and videos; and the film 'The Hikers' (2019) showing two Black men in a mirrored dance in a mountainscape. Johnson cites Leon Golub as an artist he would pair with his work, noting Golub's willingness to recognize discomfort. The exhibition occupies both the first floor (interrupting the permanent collection) and the second floor of the museum.