Black Art: Exhibitions, Policies, and Legacies Shaping the Narrative in 2025

Notable Exhibitions and Events

“Paris Noir” at the Pompidou Center

Running from March 19 to June 30, the Centre Pompidou in Paris presents Paris Noir: Artistic Circulations and Anti-Colonial Resistance, 1950–2000. With more than 300 works by approximately 150 Black artists of African descent, the exhibition examines their impact on anti-colonial and civil rights movements. Curated by Éva Barois De Caevel and Alicia Knock, the show positions Paris as a key nexus of Pan-African thought and artistic resistance.

“Veronica Ryan: Unruly Objects” at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation

On view from March 7 to July 27, this survey exhibition features approximately 100 sculptures by Turner Prize–winning artist Veronica Ryan. Known for transforming ordinary materials into poetic sculptural forms, her work reflects on memory, trauma, and post-colonial identity.

“Mestre Didi: Spiritual Form” at El Museo del Barrio

Showing through July 13, this exhibition honors Afro-Brazilian sculptor Mestre Didi, whose spiritually charged works incorporate sacred symbols from Nagô Candomblé. Cowrie shells, beads, and wood form intricate structures that speak to resilience, ancestry, and faith.

Institutional Challenges and Policy Changes

Executive Orders Impacting Cultural Institutions

Controversy erupted as the Trump administration issued an executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution, denouncing what it labeled "divisive" content. Artists and cultural critics condemned the move as a threat to freedom of expression and an attempt to whitewash history.

Funding Restrictions Affecting LGBTQ+ Arts

Another federal order has prohibited promotion of so-called "gender ideology" in projects funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). LGBTQ+ art collectives and performance groups have responded with legal action, citing this as direct censorship of queer expression in the public arts space.

Passings

Fred Eversley (1941–2025)

The passing of Fred Eversley, a pivotal figure in the Light and Space movement, marks the loss of a sculptor whose practice revolutionized the perception of optics and materiality. His legacy continues to inspire artists working at the intersection of science, technology, and perception.

Elizabeth Giorgis (1962–2025)

The art world also mourns Elizabeth Giorgis, a leading Ethiopian art historian and curator. Her scholarly work brought African modernism to academic and curatorial prominence, shaping institutional frameworks for African art worldwide.

Sources

• Culture Type – The Month in Black Art (March 2025)
• AP News – ‘Black Paris’ at Pompidou
• The Guardian – Artists React to White House's Targeting of Smithsonian
• The Guardian – Trump Attacks LGBTQ+ Arts Funding

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