Theaster Gates: Young Lords and Their Traces

Theaster Gates’ work comprises sculpture, social practice, performance and archiving, all of which will be on display in the artist’s first major NYC museum survey. Early in his career, Gates sought to transform his neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago from unused buildings to experimental spaces for the exploration of Black culture, a theme that would inspire his art-making process. This exhibit highlights the Young Lords—radical activists in the 1960s civil rights era—and their role in Chicago’s modern history.