The Guggenheim Circular is an online exhibition in which works were drawn from the Museum collection using themes of time, home, embrace and community, all aspects of life during the Covid-19 pandemic. The theme of community was curated by Megan Fontanella, Nat Trotman and Xiaoyu Weng in May of this year. The works are separated into two sections, those from the museum’s modern collection and those from the contemporary collection. The pieces chosen portray expressions of human interpersonal relations and the shared desire for connection with others. One piece from the contemporary collection is Faith Ringgold’s Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5. Tar Beach, a story quilt which is a traditional craft rooted in African American culture and associated with women’s communal work. The image depicted on the quilt is of Cassie Louise Lightfoot, a character created by Ringgold to relay a narrative of culture and connection in Harlem. This piece embodies the connections and hopes of communities worldwide during this time of uncertainty. The curators’ choice to separate modern and contemporary works seems significant. It would be helpful to viewers if they better explained their intention in doing so. It seems strange that when addressing the theme of community there is such a segregation within the presentation. Overall the exhibit is successfully engages the viewer while remaining loyal to the theme.
Totally agree with the separation of the modern and contemporary work, the lack of transition makes it hard to engage.
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