The Making of an Artistic Legacy
How is an artist’s legacy truly validated — through the quiet persistence of their work, success on the market, or the blessing of a major museum retrospective? In the case of Jack Whitten, MoMA’s current exhibition casts a decisive light. Since 2011, a shift has been underway: a growing confluence of attention from the art market, academic research, and institutional representation has steadily elevated Whitten’s profile. The Antwerp-based Zeno X Gallery contributed to this resurgence. Coincidence — or a reflection of the times?
At the age of 74, Whitten completed the largest painting he would ever make: Atopolis. In his own writings, Whitten describes Atopolis as a potent idea for members of the African diaspora, a vision of a city formed not by territory but by movement, memory and multiplicity. Today, this monumental canvas belongs to MoMA’s permanent collection and forms the centrepiece of ‘Jack Whitten: The Messenger’, a revelatory exhibition tracing the artist’s engagement with race, technology, jazz, (…)
