Kara Walker's 'Burning Village' Highlighted in MACA Retrospective
Drawings, engravings, sculptures and films made by the seminal artist from the past four decades.
The Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA) is hosting a monumental exhibition honoring the seminal artist Kara Walker. Entitled Burning Village, the presentation gathers interdisciplinary works including drawings, engravings, sculptures and films made by the artist from the past four decades. It’s on view through September 7.
A collection of forty-four works were pulled from the Michael Jenkins and Javier Romero Collection of MACA. Moreover, thirty-one pieces were donated to the institution with twelve acquired by MACA in 2024 to stage this comprehensive survey of Walker. The exhibition highlights Walker’s politically-charged practice, exploring dynamics of martyrdom, iconography as well as the legacy of slavery in America.
One of Walker’s earliest pieces, entitled “I’ll Be a Monkey’s Uncle,” is highlighted in the show and features Walker’s recognizable black cut-out silhouettes. Another body of work features a row of large-scale silkscreens where Walker superimposed images of Southern folk tales alongside brutal depictions of slavery that are then juxtaposed with elements from Greek mythology. Rounding out the exhibition is a 12-minute animated film provided by artist herself.
“Walker’s complex oeuvre analyzes how historical and present dynamics of race, identity, power, and desire function in systems of oppression and subjugation. The images in her work are drawn from both art historical lineages and the fantastical, at times grotesque, realm of the imagined,” described MACA in a statement.
Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art
Pl. Sta. María, 3
Alicante 03002
Spain
