Nari Ward (St. Andrew, Jamaica, 1963; lives and works in New York ) is an internationally acclaimed artist, known for his installations that combine familiar and humble materials into a layering of socio-historical references. By repurposing a wide range of found objects, each with its own unique history, his art engages with memory and transformation, opening up new possibilities. Nari Ward’s interweaving and juxtaposition of discarded elements alludes to various social and political aspects and addresses notions of identity, race, social justice, and consumer culture, creating poignant artworks that entwine both spiritual and conceptual responses. His intentional use of everyday materials, remnants of past practices, places, communities, and epochs, allows the viewer to connect directly with the works while keeping the narrative open to contemporary, urgent themes.
The retrospective at Pirelli HangarBicocca presents, for the first time, a combination of works that interweaves Ward’s exploration of performativity and collaborative projects. With a particular focus on time-based media works, including video, sound, performative sculptures, and installations, the exhibition delves into over thirty years of practice, presenting early seminal and historical works as well as new productions. The narrative unfolds through the seminal large-scale installations, originally realized by Ward between 1996 and 2000 for Ralph Lemon’s choreography Geography Trilogy, presented here in an exhibition setting for the first time since then. The three works will create a new choreography together with other sculptures, videos, installations, and the bodies of the visitors. The notion of performativity animates the exhibition itself, which will be marked by a program of live collaborative actions running throughout the show.
The exhibition will be complemented by a monographic volume presenting the most recent studies on Nari Ward’s practice, exploring aspects of performativity, sound and time-based practices that have emerged from collaborative exchanges in the artist’s work. The book will include essays and thematic contributions by international scholars and critics, including Naomi Beckwith, Jessica Bell Brown, Adrienne Edwards, Dieter Roelstraete, and Christina Sharpe.
Nari Ward has been living in Harlem since the 1990s. There, he developed his unique practice of recycling detritus to create sculptural installations that examine the politics of culture and social practices. Drawing materials from history and his surroundings, as well as personal experiences, Ward presents an alternative perspective on power. As he told Ocula Magazine in 2019, 'you don't necessarily need to be part of that canon—being outside of it is quite okay, and trying to be inside of it in some way dilutes your position. You fight for your own space, not to join that space.'
Pirelli HangarBicocca is a non-profit foundation, established in 2004, which has converted a former industrial plant in Milan into an institution for producing and promoting contemporary art. This dynamic center for experimentation and discovery covers 15,000 square meters, making it one of the largest contiguous exhibition spaces in Europe. It presents major solo shows every year by Italian and international artists, with each project conceived to work in close relation to the architecture of the complex, and explored in depth through a calendar of parallel events. Admission to the space and the shows is completely free of charge, and facilitators are on hand to help the public connect with the art. Since 2012, Vicente Todolí has been the foundation’s Artistic Director.
