The sculptures grouped on this platform in "Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined" are macroscopic impressions of viruses. 🦠
Reminiscent of pottery, they are made from the distinctive and highly fertile red volcanic soil found in the highlands region of Kenya—a lifegiving material that is the source of the region’s dense forests and abundant horticulture.
Enlarging their scale highlights their geometry, symmetry, and distinctive textures, which evolved over millennia to facilitate the viruses’ infiltration of and reproduction within human, plant, and animal cells.
Mutu has specifically chosen to represent viruses that have historically been deployed as bioweapons of colonization (like measles and smallpox) as well as those that are tied to specific geopolitical contexts (like Zika and Dengue) or are otherwise interwoven with human societies (the common cold).
Such pathogens cause sickness and disease but also speak to
fears, vulnerabilities, and experiences that unify humanity.
"Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined" is on view at NOMA through July 14.
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🎨: Wangechi Mutu, various works, 2016–22. Red soil, paper pulp, and wood glue. Courtesy the artist, Gladstone Gallery, and Prout-Lara Collection, Vancouver.
📍: First floor, Ella West Freeman Galleries
📸: @annrowsonlove
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