In an era marked by a remarkable flourishing of depictions of Black lives and an overdue appreciation of their importance, “Time Is Always Modern: Artists Reimagining Black Painting” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art not only captures the achievements born out of the Black Lives Matter movement but also continues. The play investigates how Black people are perceived and represented and celebrates the contemporary characterization of Blackness while reframing it within the broader context of Western art history.
The twenty-eight Black and African diasporic artists in this exhibition reject the fixation or instrumentalization of their subjects, instead creating images full of vitality and pure human beauty, seeking to change the way we see. “From looking at Black people from an outside perspective to seeing the yes of Black artists and the figures they portray,” curator Ekow Eshun put it. The result is a fascinating exploration of humanity that transcends race, showing how racial identity is a construct constructed by social and political power while foregrounding our shared human experience—complete with its universal fears, hopes and existential questions.
Historically, Euro-American depictions of Black bodies have discriminated, distorted or erased their existence altogether. In stark contrast, the artists featured here re-discover Blackness through a deep and thoughtful lens, creating works of art that are at once intimate and universal. This show challenges viewers to see beyond race and see Black people as fully alive people—not as “others,” but as people central to a broader human narrative. The show is unabashedly celebratory, eschewing illness and any notion of Blackness as a point of difference, instead emphasizing humanity and shared resilience.
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In this respect, “Time Is Always Modern” delves into important themes of Black figures, particularly the re-invention of traditional painting practices while embedding these works in an evolving art genealogy and universal art history. The title itself—combining “then” and “now”—records the exhibition's desire to combine historical and contemporary narratives, breaking the boundaries of social and cultural constructions of race.
First staged at the National Portrait Gallery in London, this iteration of the exhibition is expanding significantly, with additional artists joining the roster in Philadelphia. Despite this growth, the exhibition maintains its transatlantic focus, amplifying the voices of US and UK-based artists who collectively assert the urgency of black representation as an integral and integral part of the ongoing story of art history.
The show unfolds across stages exploring the various dimensions in which Black characters operate historically and culturally. The first, “Double Consciousness,” includes works by Michael Armitage, Noah Davis and Kerry James Marshall, among others, that explore the psychological complexity of Blackness. These pieces challenge the duality of non-coherence and separation, exploring identity on a psychological rather than an ontological level. This section borrows its title from a term coined by W. E. B. Du Bois in 1897—not 1987—to describe the experience of a black man who exists physically but outside of psychological society. Kerry James Marshall's photographs capture this tension in a dramatic way, as his subjects confront the viewer directly with a gaze that rejects duality and asserts its existence. Marshall's use of deliberately unnatural, deeply dark skin tones reveals “Blackness” as a construct shaped by cultural and social stereotypes rather than an inherent reality. As he notes, “They are black to show that darkness can be complicated. Depth. To be rich.”
Similarly, Amy Sherald's signature use of gray grisaille-like colors defies conventional representations of skin color. By removing the meaning of color, his work creates an abstract palette that challenges stereotypes while grounding his figures in the tradition of Western art history. His reference to Gothic color palettes, as seen in the sculptures of Giotto or the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, repositions Black subjects in genealogies often dominated by Eurocentric narratives.
In the second section, “Past and Present,” artists such as Godfried Donkor, Kimathi Donkor and Barbara Walker address the absence and distortion of Black representation in Western art history. These works revisit historical paintings and art books to disrupt and critique traditional representations of the white gaze. Barbara Walker The Vanishing Point (2018-) exemplified this approach by erasing white figures from classic Western paintings held in major museums, bringing marginalized Black subjects into sharp focus. His work draws attention to the historical exclusion and marginalization of Black people in art history, disrupting the dominance of whiteness in these iconic pieces. Lubaina Himid also talks about cultural heritage with a critical eye, combining visual elements, hidden narratives and collective memory in what she calls the “re-remembering” of historical painting. His work commemorates neglected historical events while creating space for new perspectives, challenging traditional historical narratives that have perpetuated disjointed narratives.
The final segment, “Our Lives,” delivers some of the show's most powerful visual statements, celebrating the universality and individuality of Black life. This section presents works of art that capture moments of joy, relationship, and community, emphasizing the everyday vibrancy of Black lives as ordinary people. Lynette Yiadom-Boakye's subjects include a deep sense of the 'ordinary,' with common movements and gestures rendered in various tones of brown and blue that blend seamlessly into the dark field of her illustrations. His characters exist beyond the confines of the white gaze, liberated and self-possessed.
Similarly, Njideka Akunyili Crosby's layered photographic transfer and collage paintings recount moments of intimacy, family ties, and love, celebrating the layered, universal nature of the diasporic experience. His works explore the connection between the culture of his homeland and the new environment, depicting lives permanently suspended between worlds but based on love and connection. Henry Taylor's paintings, fused with the power of pop culture and everyday life, honor the richness of the existence of Black people through images of the communities closest to him, capturing their spirit and resilience. The reflection of author Ta-Nehisi Coates, quoted in the exhibition catalogue, sums up the ethos of this section: “They made us a race. We pretended to be people.”
The great success of this show lies in its refusal to be confined to the framework of identity politics. Instead, it strives for a vision of humanity, promoting equality and shared humanity. By inviting viewers to consider art history through an expansive lens, the exhibition transcends racial divides and emphasizes our collective journey in the development of civilization, reminding us of the commonalities that bind us all.
Another exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is “How Many Times Are These?,” which examines how different artistic languages respond to and withstand difficult times—like the ones we find ourselves navigating today. The artists featured in this exhibition use art as a form of empathy and universality, creating political realities and critical perspectives that challenge the culture of silence. Through their work, they investigate modern citizenship, freedom and rights through a sharp, unblinking lens.
Few artists exemplify the fusion of art and activism as clearly as Jenny Holzer. His 1981 episode It takes… it delivers a lively critique of the new wealth flooding Wall Street during that period, consistently highlighting its massive effects on economic volatility and the rigidity that fueled it. Nearby, Philadelphia-based artist Jan American takes a playful but equally inclusive approach. He City Flora/City Flotsam series (2000) transforms crack containers into wallpaper, a joyful reminder of the waste left behind after urbanization and construction, emphasizing the disparity of such progress that is often overlooked.
But the most addictive work in the show can be Be quiet (2016), a film by Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz featuring Venezuelan voice star Aérea Negrot. The performance clashes with John Cage's infamous reputation 4'33” (1952), introduced the Negrot in a silent but spectacular display. The video plays on loop, with the programmed gestures of the Negrot attracting the viewer, proving that even silence is accompanied by meaning and subtitles.
Taking its criticism beyond the confines of the galleries, the exhibition takes over the Great Stair Hall and the iconic video installation of Steve McQueen. Static (2009). Filmed from a helicopter, the 35mm video carefully examines the Declaration of Independence, a symbol of freedom and equality, during its unveiling after eight years of closure following 9/11. Played on an endless loop, the film's gaze dissects the statue, revealing the tension between idealized ideals and the dramatic realities of modern America.
“The Time is Always Now” is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art until February 9. “What Times Are These?” will continue until March 16.
