'Otobong Nkanga: Cadence' at The Museum of Modern Art, NY, USA

10 July 2024

The Museum of Modern Art announces 'Otobong Nkanga: Cadence', a new, site-specific commission by the Nigerian-Belgian artist Otobong Nkanga, opening in the Donald and Catherine Marron Family Atrium on October 10, 2024. The large-scale installation, which will be on view through June 8, 2025, will feature an all- encompassing environment of sculpture, sound, and text that addresses the rhythms of both ecological life cycles and social upheaval. Central to the commission is a monumental tapestry that will be suspended along the highest wall of the Atrium. Hanging sculptures composed of dyed ropes, interwoven with hand-blown glass and ceramic forms, will be suspended floor-to-ceiling within the space and featured alongside ceramic tablets imprinted with poems written by the artist, and an immersive sound work created by the artist. 'Otobong Nkanga: Cadence' is organized by Michelle Kuo, Chief Curator at Large and Publisher, with Elizabeth Wickham, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Painting and Sculpture.

“Otobong Nkanga has changed the way we understand the Earth and our place in it. Her art confronts both the beauty and the degradation of the natural world—and its upheaval in the wake of industrial revolutions, resource extraction, and war,” said Michelle Kuo. “Weaving together intricate materials, images, and sounds, her monumental installation creates new ways of perceiving—and feeling—the massive shifts taking place in our world with heart, poetry, and wonder. We are thrilled to feature the work of an artist who uniquely connects global communities and landscapes.”

“I am thrilled to create this new commission for one of the world’s most iconic museums, MoMA. It has been incredible to collaborate, bringing together different aspects of my practice that I am excited to present here,” said Otobong Nkanga. “My works connect us to our shared histories, not just through land and geography, but through emotions shaped by events and encounters. These are the cadences of life, formed by turbulence and hope.”

Find out more via The Museum of Modern Art.

Image: Portrait of Otobong Nkanga, 2024. Photo Wim van Dongen, Courtesy Lisson Gallery.