Glenn Ligon
Fri, May 30
|Brant Foundation Art Study Center
Glenn Ligon opens May 21 – July 19, 2025, at The Brant Foundation in NYC, showcasing neon, video, and text-based works that confront race, identity, and American history.
Time & Location
May 30, 2025, 7:00 AM – Jul 19, 2025, 10:50 PM
Brant Foundation Art Study Center, 421 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009, USA
About the event
The Brant Foundation Art Study Center presents a timely solo exhibition of celebrated American artist Glenn Ligon, running from May 21 to July 19, 2025, in the heart of the East Village. Admission is free, and walk-ins are welcome.
Known for his bold and incisive visual language, Ligon reimagines American history through the written word. The exhibition features a selection of video installations, neon pieces, and text-driven paintings, exploring how representation—and its failures—shape our understanding of race, identity, masculinity, and nationhood.
Highlights include:
Untitled (Bruise/Blues), inspired by the wrongful incarceration of Daniel Hamm and incorporating neon text that captures a chilling Freudian slip between "bruise" and "blues."
Rückenfigur (2009), a powerful neon sculpture that literally turns its back on the viewer—illuminating the alienation embedded within national identity.
References to James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Pryor, and Steve Reich, weaving together literary, comedic, and musical legacies with Ligon’s own minimalist yet provocative…