Family Visions of a Shared Humanity

John Akomfrah Tropikos 2016 (detail, video still), Pérez Art Museum Miami, purchased with funds provided by PAMM’s Collectors Council © Smoking Dogs Films. Image courtesy Lisson Gallery
Nine leading international video artists on the interconnectedness of humanity at a moment of division
Family Visions of a Shared Humanity
Art Gallery of New South Wales
South Building
Lower level 2
🛈 Find out what you need to know before visiting
Free admission
Guest curated by Franklin Sirmans, the director of the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), Family: Visions of a Shared Humanity presents an important exhibition of video works by some of the most internationally renowned artists of our time.
Family invokes the humanity of the world as interconnected by shared concerns. When we are all facing attack by both an invisible virus and a highly visible pandemic of social injustice, can we find deeper meaning in the term ‘family’, as it pertains to humanity globally?
This moment, marked in the United States and beyond by a litany of recent murders of Black people, has also seen courageous activism and coalition-building through recognition of the intersectionality of race, gender and disadvantage.
Family brings together an epic suite of powerful works, many never seen before in Australia – by leading artists such as John Akomfrah (Ghana/UK), Garrett Bradley (USA), Stan Douglas (Canada), Theaster Gates (USA), Arthur Jafa (USA), Kahlil Joseph (USA), Isaac Julien (UK), Steve McQueen (UK) and Carrie Mae Weems (USA). Together, these pieces – mostly in the democratic medium of video – open a conversation by asking: how do we see each other?

PAMM director Franklin Sirmans at Pérez Art Museum Miami. Photo: Angel Valentin, courtesy Pérez Art Museum Miami

Theaster Gates Breathing 2010 (video still), Pérez Art Museum Miami © Theaster Gates. Photo: Chris Strong, courtesy Theaster Gates

Isaac Julien Western Union: small boats (The leopard) 2007 (video still), Art Gallery of New South Wales © Isaac Julien. Image courtesy the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery

Carrie Mae Weems May days long forgotten 2002 (video still), Pérez Art Museum Miami © Carrie Mae Weems. Image courtesy the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

Garrett Bradley America 2019 (video still) © Garrett Bradley. Image courtesy the artist and Lisson Gallery

Stan Douglas Luanda-Kinshasa 2013 (video still), Pérez Art Museum Miami and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art © Stan Douglas. Image courtesy the artist, Victoria Miro and David Zwirner

Arthur Jafa Love is the message, the message is death 2016 (installation view, Pérez Art Museum Miami, 2018–19), Pérez Art Museum Miami © Arthur Jafa. Photo: Oriol Tarridas

Steve McQueen End credits 2012–ongoing (installation view, Pérez Art Museum Miami, 2017–18), Pérez Art Museum Miami © Steve McQueen. Photo Studio LHOOQ