Utopian Imagination

Curated by Jaishri Abichandani

Utopian Imagination brings together works by artists who are imagining our existence on an imperiled planet. With the understanding that (radical) love is the answer to the violence presented in Perilous Bodies, this exhibition recognizes the difficulties of the task ahead. Utopias are increasingly hard to imagine in a world torn asunder by conflict. Using science fiction to frame this interrogation, this exhibition presents objects, bodies, vessels, and fragments created by artists over time that when pieced together, offer a vision of a future that includes all of us.

The Utopian Imagination exhibition trilogy concept was developed by Jaishri Abichandani.

Image: Cannupa Hanska Luger, The One Who Checks & The One Who Balances, 2018 Courtesy of the artist, Photo credit: Chip Thomas, Ginger Dunnill

Saks Afridi

Morehshin Allahyari

Firelei Báez

Beatriz Cortez

Lola Flash

Juliana Huxtable

farxiyo jaamac

Lee Bul

Cannupa Hanska Luger

Mariko Mori

Zak Ové

Mikael Owunna

Yinka Shonibare CBE

Exhibition installation information

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring a black starburst-shaped wall sculpture with gold accents for the "Utopian Imagination" exhibition. The piece is centered on a white wall between a window and the exhibition title text.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery exhibition, "Utopian Imagination." A large mirrored wall reflects a vibrant, explosive floral artwork set within a grey arched frame. In the background, a blue wall features a pedestal sculpture and a modern painting.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Utopian Imagination" exhibition. A light blue wall displays an intricate hanging silver chain sculpture, several futuristic wall-mounted pieces, and colorful photography.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Utopian Imagination" exhibition. A blue wall displays a video projection of a person in silver clothing alongside a hanging silver chain sculpture and a futuristic mannequin in a patterned suit.

Interior of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Utopian Imagination" exhibition. Three white pedestals in the foreground display small sculptures, while the light blue walls in the background feature vibrant, dark-themed photography and a video installation.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Utopian Imagination" exhibition. The gallery includes an astronaut mannequin in a patterned suit, a futuristic aircraft sculpture, and a large-scale video projection of a landscape.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Utopian Imagination" exhibition. The wide-angle shot shows a patterned astronaut mannequin, a futuristic aircraft sculpture, and white pedestals with small artworks against light blue walls. — Installation view, Utopian Imagination, Ford Foundation Gallery, NYC, September 17 – December 7, 2019.

Interior view of the Ford Foundation Gallery featuring the "Per(sister)" exhibition. The wide-angle shot shows a large purple pillar with a grid of photographic portraits, a brown floral wallpapered wall with cross-stitch art, and diverse multimedia installations focusing on social justice and incarceration.

Mixed-media aircraft sculpture by The Propeller Group in the Ford Foundation Gallery exhibition, "Utopian Imagination." Behind the intricate metallic vessel is a portrait of an astronaut in an orange suit. — Installation Photos Sebastian Bach

Saks Afridi – The Prayer Catcher

b. 1975, Pakistan/USA
The Prayer Catcher, 2019
High-density foam, acrylic, brass leaf, acrylic paint
50 x 35 x 18 inches
Designed by Brandon Wetzel, in collaboration with Ferda Kolatan, Hart Marlow, Amir Ashtiani

Firelei Báez – Adjusting the Moon (The right to non-imperative clarities)

b. 1981 Dominican Republic/USA
Adjusting the Moon (The right to non-imperative clarities), 2019
Mirrored walls, two paintings
Oil and acrylic on panel
Overall dimensions: 12 x 12 x 16 ½ feet
Paintings: 114 x 78 x 1 ½ inches each
Courtesy of the artist and James Cohan, New York

Saks Afridi, Sighting #6, 2019, Photo Courtesy Of The Artist

Saks Afridi – Sighting #3

b. 1975 Pakistan/USA
Sighting #3, 2019
Vibrachrome print on aluminum
48 x 36 inches
Courtesy of the artist

Saks Afridi – Hovering Minaret

Hovering Minaret, 2019
High density foam, electromagnets, wood, and paint
24 x 4 x 4 inches
Courtesy of Aicon Contemporary

Saks Afridi, Sighting #3, 2019, Photo Courtesy Of The Artist

Saks Afridi – Sighting #6

Sighting #6, 2019
Vibrachrome print on aluminum
48 x 36 inches
Private Collection

Mariko Mori – Miko No Inori

b. 1957 Japan
Miko No Inori, 1996
Video, 29:23 minutes
Courtesy of the artist and Sean Kelly Gallery

Lee Bul – Sternbau No. 5

b. 1964 South Korea
Sternbau No. 5, 2007
Crystal, glass, and acrylic beads on nickel-chrome wire, stainless steel and aluminum armature
56 ⅝ x 35 ½ x 31 ½ inches
Private collection

Farxiyo Jaamac – Android Girl

b. 1985, Somalia/Canada
black girls live in outer space too series, 2017
android girl, 2016
Archival inkjet print
31 x 48 inches
Private collection

Farxiyo Jaamac – Iftin

b. 1985, Somalia/Canada
black girls live in outer space too series, 2017
iftin, 2018
Archival inkjet print
29 ½ x 48 inches
Private collection

Yinka Shonibare, MBE – Cloud 9

b. 1962 England/Nigeria
Cloud 9, 1999-2000
Dutch wax-print cotton textile, fiberglass figure, helmet, flagpole and flag
Figure: 72 x 24 ½ x 19 inches
Flag: 72 x 36 inches
Collection of Neuberger Berman

Mikael Owunna – Sam

b. 1990 USA
Infinite Essence series, 2018
Sam, 2018
Aluminum metal print
40 x 40 x 2 inches
Courtesy of the artist

Mikael Owunna – Emem

b. 1990 USA
Infinite Essence series, 2018
Emem, 2018
Aluminum metal print
40 x 60 x 2 inches
Courtesy of the artist

Juliana Huxtable – Lil’ Marvel

b. 1987 USA
Lil’ Marvel, 2015
Archival inkjet print
40 x 30 inches
Courtesy of Salon 94

Beatriz Cortez – The Boxes Of Wonder

b. 1970 El Salvador/USA
detail of The Boxes of Wonder, 2015
The Fortune Teller (Kaqchikel edition)
Wood, mechanical bird, push button, thermal printer, Arduino Uno, paper
12 x 12 x 4 inches
Courtesy of the artist and Commonwealth and Council, Los Angeles

Zak Ové – Sky Lark

b. 1966, England
Sky Lark, 2017
Vintage fairground ride, resin cast masks, mannequin, acrylic wings, trumpets
80 ¼ × 63 ¾ × 94 ½ inches
Collection of Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, 21c Museum Hotel

Lola Flash – Syzygy

b. 1959 USA
Syzygy, 2019
Aluminum metal print
50 x 40 inches
Courtesy of the artist

Cannupa Hanska Luger – Future Ancestral Technologies: Araxooxí

b. 1979 USA – Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Lakota
Future Ancestral Technologies: araxooxí, 2018-19
Video, ceramic, steel, wool, felt, fiber, found objects
Courtesy of the artist

Zak Ové – Nubian Return

b. 1966 England
Nubian Return, 2011
Mixed media including seventies rootstein mannequin, aircraft fuselage, telephone box shelter, metal signage
98 ½ x 59 x 15 ¾ inches
Courtesy of Zak Ové Studio and Vigo Gallery, London

Morehshin Allahyari – She Who Sees The Unknown: Huma

b. 1985 Iran/USA
She Who Sees the Unknown: Huma, 2016
3D-printed black resin sculpture, clear resin talismans
Sculpture: 12 x 6 x 5 inches
Talismans: 6 ¾ x 4 x ¾ inches
HD single-channel video, 6:05 minutes
Courtesy of the artist and Upfor Gallery, Portland, Oregon

More from this exhibition

Curator-led tour: November 16

Utopian Imagination | Artists in Conversation

Curator-led tour: October 5