Mickalene Thomas. Better Nights

Mickalene Thomas. Better Nights
01.12.2019 - 27.09.2020

Better Nights presents an installation that will transform the exhibition's galleries into an immersive art experience. Inspired by the local New Jersey play Put a Little Sugar in my Bowlorganized and performed by Thomas' mother, friends, and family as well as the parties hosted by the artist’s mother in the late 1970s, the installation embodies an apartment environment, conceptually reconstructed according to the domestic aesthetic of the period, including faux wood paneling, wallpaper and custom seating reupholstered with the artist’s signature textiles. An extension of Thomas’ artistic universe, the installation incorporates both work by the artist and a curated selection by Thomas featuring work by emerging and prominent artists of color, with the prop-like tableau echoing the collage-like compositional style of Thomas’ paintings.

Better Nights will present a schedule of programming arranged by the artist, including live performances, concerts, activations, a live bar and appearances by guest DJs. The first chapter, Better Days, took place at the Galerie Volkhaus in Basel, Switzerland during Art Basel 2013.