THEASTER GATES & THE BLACK MONKS
Amalgam (Palais De Tokyo, 2019)
Taking over the Palais de Tokyo, Paris earlier this year, Theaster Gates exhibition Amalgam initiated an entirely new project that explores social histories of migration and interracial relations using a specific episode in American history as his point of departure to explore the complex and interweaving issues of race, territory, and inequality in the United States.
Amalgam takes the history of Malaga as its point of departure. During the 19th century, this small island off the coast of Maine, USA, was home to an ethnically-mixed community. In 1912, on the orders of the state governor, they were forcibly removed to the mainland. They were offered no housing, jobs or support.
Amalgam presents sculpture, installation, film and dance that respond to this history. Highlights include a new film, Dance of Malaga 2019, which features the choreography of acclaimed American dancer, Kyle Abraham. Gates’s musical collective, The Black Monks provide the film’s score, of which this is the original soundtrack, comprising 11 songs by Theaster Gates and The Black Monks of Mississippi and produced by James William Blades.
Amalgam will travel to the Tate Liverpool later this year, running December 2019 to May 2020, marking Theaster Gates first major UK exhibition.
Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates has incubated compelling new models for legacy building, social transformation, and making art. Encompassing sculpture, painting, ceramics, video, performance, and music, his art both derives from and sustains ambitious urban renewal projects, creating hubs and archives for black culture, which serve as catalysts for discussions on race, equality, space, and history.
Limited to 500 Copies Worldwide