Tourmaline's first US solo show at Carpenter Center explores Black trans freedom through film and photography

Tourmaline's exhibition, titled 'Lives of a Pollinator,' is currently on display at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This marks her inaugural solo show at a US institution and features eight pieces spread across two galleries. Central to the exhibition is her 2022 film 'Pollinator,' which includes contemplative scenes filmed at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and pays tribute to trans ancestors, particularly Marsha P. Johnson. An altar dedicated to Johnson is part of the display, alongside the piece 'Pour the boos around me' (2022–23), which draws inspiration from Édouard Manet's 'Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe' (1862–63). Additionally, the self-portrait 'It's Giving Countach' (2022) honors architect Paul R. Williams. The exhibition will be open until December 21, 2025, during a time of increasing hostility toward trans and queer representation in public spaces.