Past Made Present

Past Made Present: Dutch Shadows in the Black Atlantic explores the long but relatively unacknowledged shadow the Dutch cast over early modern history and art history. Three sections explore overlapping themes of self-presentation, wealth production, portraiture, and personhood. Juxtaposing more than 30 paintings, prints, photographs, textiles, and works of jewelry, the exhibition presents contemporary and historical works from RISD’s collection that date from the 1600s through today. Many of the artists featured have regularly refused linear notions of time and national boundaries. In the spirit of the Afro-diasporic intellectual tradition, Past Made Present invites us all to challenge established notions of time, space, and history.

Curated by Jane’a Johnson, RISD SEI research fellow and the artistic director at Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam.