ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Theaster Gates's New Museum Survey Intertwines Social Practice with Object-Based Works

exhibition · 2026-04-20

The New Museum in New York is currently hosting 'Young Lords and Their Traces,' the inaugural American museum survey by Theaster Gates, running until February 5. This exhibition explores the social and spiritual significance of objects, underscoring the importance of community. Notable pieces include 'St. Laurence Bell' (2014–22), a bronze bell salvaged from a Chicago church that was torn down, and 'A Heavenly Chord' (2022), which incorporates a Hammond B3 organ. Musician Shedrick Mitchell performs with this sculpture on certain Saturdays. Additionally, the exhibition showcases 'Seven Songs for Black Chapel #1–7' (2022) and videos featuring The Black Monks, while drawing inspiration from the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican social-action group active in the 1960s and 70s. Gates's collection highlights items from significant figures, reinforcing the relationship between art and larger societal discussions.

Key facts

  • Theaster Gates's first American museum survey is at New York's New Museum through February 5.
  • The exhibition spans three floors and two decades of Gates's practice.
  • Gates's nonprofit values are 'Black people matter, Black spaces matter, and Black objects matter.'
  • The show includes 'St. Laurence Bell' (2014–22), a bronze bell from a demolished Chicago church.
  • Musician Shedrick Mitchell plays the Hammond B3 organ in 'A Heavenly Chord' on certain Saturdays.
  • Gates founded the experimental musical ensemble The Black Monks in 2008.
  • The exhibition references the Young Lords, a social-action organization active in the 1960s and 70s.
  • Vitrines display objects belonging to Sam Gilliam, Virgil Abloh, and bell hooks.

Entities

Artists

  • Theaster Gates
  • Donald Judd
  • Shedrick Mitchell
  • Billy Forston
  • Peter Voulkos
  • Sam Gilliam
  • Virgil Abloh
  • bell hooks

Institutions

  • New Museum
  • Park Avenue Armory
  • The Black Monks
  • Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago

Locations

  • New York
  • United States
  • Chicago
  • Harlem

Sources