Antoine's Organ | Bethany Pickens

About this event

Antoine’s Organ (2016) is a monumental, immersive multimedia installation by contemporary artist Rashid Johnson, on view as a part of his career-spanning exhibition, A Poem for Deep Thinkers. Serving as a metaphor for the artist’s own brain, the artwork explores complex themes of race, class, yearning, Afrocentric identity, and the subversion of cultural containment. Named after the classically trained pianist and music producer Antoine Baldwin (also known as Audio BLK), who originally activated the work in its 2016 debut, a piano is hidden at the center of the labyrinthine structure. Throughout the exhibition’s run, musicians perform live improvisations from within the structure. Music floats through the foliage, giving life and cohering community through shared narrative. Due to limited capacity, we encourage guests to cycle through the gallery during the performance.