Race and Social Justice

Modern Portrait of Black America

In her portrait of Black Florida, Trinidad-born photographer Johanne Rahaman demonstrates her belief in racial equality and hope for a better world. Her modern archive tells the story of Blackness in America today. Follow our Sunday morning drive to Perrine where we visit Flavas, the town’s favorite breakfast spot, and stop by the House of God, home of the sacred steel ensemble known as The Lee Boys. In this conversation, you’ll find out why Rahaman is taking the time to dignify the character of rural and urban black communities across the state.

Tania Bruguera on Artivism

Once upon a time, Presidents of Cuba and the U.S. announced a rapprochement. The island country is not known for tolerating contemporary art activism. Recorded in Havana, this Fresh Talk episode features Cuban artist Tania Bruguera and her launch of a new initiative: the Hannah Arendt Institute for Artivism. Bruguera moved ahead with her project despite the fact that she was been under city arrest and subject to government reprisals. Her unauthorized public art performance on December 30, 2014, landed her in jail for three days. These days, Bruguera continues her work outside Cuba.

Andrea Bowers on Art and Activism

Andrea Bowers, an artist from Ohio who’s based in Los Angeles talks about what motivates her to engage with social and political issues. Curators of two international biennials in North America selected her work for their 2014 exhibitions. Her Courtroom Drawings appeared in l’Avenir, the inaugural Montreal Biennial. Two of the artist’s activist projects were on view in Unsettled Landscapes at SITE Santa Fe. Bowers remains actively engaged in advocating for environmental and human rights in her work.