Rashid Johnson: New Poetry

In 2023, Rashid Johnson created ‘New Poetry’ specifically for the Whitney Museum of New York, extending across the plaza in front of the museum. Inspired by the poem by Amiri Baraka, the work is a bold exploration of thought and aesthetics, presented as a form of poetry. Johnson combines a variety of materials – steel, ceramics, plants, CRT screens displaying films – in a structure resembling a library, evoking a cerebral structure. The installation, illuminated and alive, interrogates the relationship between the institution and the public, and the way information intertwines. This unique work, accessible for free, is an invitation to reflection on contemporary concerns and the impact of art on our perception of the world. The exhibition is open from November 1, 2023, to October 24, 2053.