Art-Full Abstract: Whitney Biennial + Brunch Event

“

It was a unique experience that I wouldn’t have been able to have, even if I had gone alone.”

— Joanna Matthews

On July 27, the Women of Culture community, headed by Founder Alexandra Harper, visited the 2024 Whitney Biennial, "Even Better Than the Real Thing," guided by guide & art historian, Helen Lee.

The exhibition included paintings, sculptures, multimedia artworks, installations, sound works, and videos. The show's title refers to the growth of artificial intelligence and other shifts that have occurred over the past year, like the overturning of Roe v. Wade and transphobic legislation.

Isaac Julien’s video and sculpture installation was the highlight of the show for me. It re-made a conversation between Alain Locke and Albert C. Barnes, and there was a discussion of how Europeans and Americans viewed African sculpture and the reactions of Black artists and collectors compared to those of white artists and collectors. The room was dark with only the large wall-to-wall black and white films lighting the space with jazz music playing in the background and was a truly immersive, beautiful experience.

I am so grateful to have been able to tour this exhibit, which I likely wouldn’t have gone to on my own, with this group — and to be able to share our thoughts and compare notes, along the way. Having an experienced guide such as the one-and-only Helen Lee greatly enhanced the experience and helped me to make sense of some of the more conceptual and abstract pieces on view. It was a unique experience that I wouldn’t have been able to have, even if I had gone alone.

— Joanna Matthews, Art-Full Ambassador