Aargauer Kunsthaus. Stranger in the Village

In his famous text Stranger in the Village published in Harper's Magazine in 1953, the American writer James Baldwin (1924-1987) addressed the racism that informed his stay in Switzerland in the 1950s. His words continue to inspire many artists today.

The exhibition brings together a large selection of works by around 40 artists from the middle of the 20th century to today, adopting an interdisciplinary, collaborative, and kaleidoscopic approach. Alongside new creations by Omar Ba (*1977, Geneva and Dakar) and Sasha Huber (*1975, Finland, Switzerland and Haiti), the exhibition presents works by artists working in Switzerland, such as James Bantone, Denise Bertschi, and Ceylan Öztrük, as well as by internationally known artists like Kader Attia, Marlene Dumas, Glenn Ligon, and Carrie Mae Weems. The American Vincent O. Carter and the Congolese André M'Bon, who both worked in Switzerland for decades, are also on show.

At the centre of the exhibition, an interactive room provides visitors with several options to participate creatively and to engage more deeply with the topic of racism.

STRANGER IN THE VILLAGE

REFLECTING RACISM WITH JAMES BALDWIN

3 SEPTEMBER 2023 – 7 JANUARY 2024

AARGAUER KUNSTHAUS | AARAU, SWITZERLAND

On the cover: Installationsansicht Stranger in the Village
James Bantone, Child's Play, 2022
Neopren, Garn, Anzug, Sicherheitsnadeln, verschiedene Masse
Mit Genehmigung des Künstlers und Karma International, Zürich
Photo: David Aebi, Bern

Source: Show On Show