Events

For close to fifty years, Senga Nengudi (b. 1943) has shaped an oeuvre that inhabits a specific and unique place between sculpture, dance and performance. Before moving to Colorado Springs at the end of the 1980s where she lives until today, Nengudi was mostly based in Los Angeles. In the 1960s and 1970s, L.A. was the capital of an African-American artistic avant-garde with Nengudi as one of its pivotal figures. Her iconic R.S.V.P sculptures, exhibited for the first time in 1976, are made from pantyhose combined with natural materials such as sand and stone. While ostensibly abstract, their biomorphic forms suggest a body under tension, both physical and social. The artist herself describes the works as “stationary performances.” As the title of the growing series—R.S.V.P., short for “Répondez, s’il vous plait” or “Please respond”—implies, these works formulate an invitation and are occasionally activated during choreographed performances. Performance is at the core of Nengudi's practice—a fact that will be reflected by the exhibition. An illustrated catalog in English and German will be published. Curated by Stephanie Weber and Anna Straetmans.

Senga Nengudi: Topologies is composed of more than 70 abstract and conceptual artworks by the internationally recognized artist, a prominent figure of the 1970s Black American avant-garde and Black Arts Movement.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is the only East Coast venue for a major traveling exhibition devoted to Senga Nengudi, a leading figure of the 1970s Black American avant-garde and a pioneering artist of our time. Marked by her innovative use of everyday materials that range from water and sand to pantyhose and air conditioning units, Nengudi’s work bridges the mediums of sculpture and performance, offering a cross-disciplinary investigation into the personal experiences of the Black female body and the collective impulses of community and ritual.