Whitechapel Gallery's 'Adventures of the Black Square' surveys geometric abstraction from 1915 to 2015
The 'Adventures of the Black Square: Abstract Art and Society 1915–2015' exhibition at London’s Whitechapel Gallery, curated by Iwona Blazwick and Magnus af Petersens, showcases a century of geometric abstraction. The event commenced with Kazimir Malevich's Black Quadrilateral (circa 1915). It spans from Max Bill's Simultaneous Construction of Two Progressive Systems (1945–51) to modern contributions, featuring Brazilian Concretism from Judith Lauand and Waldemar Cordeiro. The exhibition also highlights artists from Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, including Rasheed Araeen and Hassan Sharif. Minimalism is represented by Carl Andre's 10 X 10 Altstadt Lead Square (1967) alongside contemporary pieces by Andrea Fraser and Sarah Morris, with critics commenting on the diverse installations and curation.
Key facts
- Exhibition title: Adventures of the Black Square: Abstract Art and Society 1915–2015
- Venue: Whitechapel Gallery, London
- Curators: Iwona Blazwick and Magnus af Petersens
- Key work: Kazimir Malevich's Black Quadrilateral (undated, circa 1915)
- Included artists from Anni Albers to Heimo Zobernig
- Featured global geometric abstraction from Brazil, Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe
- Exhibition reviewed in April 2015 issue of ArtReview
- Centennial survey marking 100 years since Malevich's Black Square (1915)
Entities
Artists
- Anni Albers
- Josef Albers
- Heimo Zobernig
- Kazimir Malevich
- Max Bill
- Judith Lauand
- Waldemar Cordeiro
- Hélio Oiticica
- Carl Andre
- Rasheed Araeen
- Hassan Sharif
- Saloua Raouda Choucair
- Dóra Maurer
- Andrea Fraser
- Alan McCollum
- Hannah Starkey
- Sarah Morris
- Peter Halley
- Willem de Rooij
- Briony Fer
- Donald Judd
Institutions
- Whitechapel Gallery
- Greek State Museum of Contemporary Art
- ArtReview
- Bauhaus
- Tate
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Brazil
- Asia
- Middle East
- Near East
- Eastern Europe
- Greece