ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Theaster Gates's 'The Black Image Corporation' at Osservatorio Prada

exhibition · 2026-05-04

At the Osservatorio Prada in Milan, Theaster Gates presents 'The Black Image Corporation,' an exhibition that delves into the cultural and visual legacy of the African American community following World War II. A pivotal element of this project is the extensive archive from the Johnson Publishing Company, which houses over four million images. Attendees can explore a variety of magazines, films, and photographs. Notable publications featured include Ebony, established in 1945, and Jet, which began in 1951 and is now available digitally, both initiated by John H. Johnson in 1942. The exhibition also reconstructs the publishing house and highlights female beauty through the works of Moneta Sleet Jr. and Isaac Sutton, alongside significant historical moments like Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.

Key facts

  • Theaster Gates (Chicago, 1973) curated 'The Black Image Corporation' at Osservatorio Prada, Milan.
  • The exhibition explores the cultural and iconographic situation of the African American community from the postwar era.
  • Central is the Johnson Publishing Company archive of over four million images.
  • John H. Johnson founded the publishing company in 1942, launching Ebony in 1945 and Jet in 1951.
  • Jet is currently digital only.
  • The March on Washington took place on August 28, 1963, during the Kennedy administration.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech at the march; he was assassinated five years later.
  • Moneta Sleet Jr. was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1969.
  • Sleet Jr. photographed Muhammad Ali, Stevie Wonder, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X.
  • Isaac Sutton documented the Ebony Fashion Fair organized by Eunice Walker Johnson.

Entities

Artists

  • Theaster Gates
  • Moneta Sleet Jr.
  • Isaac Sutton
  • Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Muhammad Ali
  • Stevie Wonder
  • Malcolm X
  • Eunice Walker Johnson
  • John H. Johnson

Institutions

  • Osservatorio Prada
  • Fondazione Prada
  • Johnson Publishing Company

Locations

  • Milan
  • Italy
  • Chicago
  • United States
  • Washington, D.C.

Sources