The Slipstream: Reflection, Resilience, and Resistance in the Art of Our Time draws examples from our contemporary art collection to contemplate the profound disruption that occurred in 2020. Borrowing its title from an aeronautical term that refers to the pull of the current that is left in the wake of a large and powerful object, the exhibition examines the placement and displacement of power that runs through American history and continues today. In 2020's slipstream, the confluence of the devastating effects of the pandemic, civil unrest across the United States, a contested presidential election, and unchecked climate change will continue to shape conversations about the state of the nation and world. The exhibition seeks to hold space for individuals to find their feelings of fear, grief, vulnerability, anger, isolation, and despair—as well as joy, determination, and love—reflected in art.
Centering artists of color, The Slipstream features works by multiple generations of artists from the 1960s to the present day. More than sixty artworks are on view, organized in seven sections around themes such as collective power, family ties, spiritual well-being, relationships to nature, and the simple rituals of daily life. Each of these works embodies strategies for staying grounded, gathering strength, and considering paths into the future.
The Slipstream: Reflection, Resilience, and Resistance in the Art of Our Time is curated by Eugenie Tsai, John and Barbara Vogelstein Senior Curator, Contemporary Art, with Joseph Shaikewitz, Curatorial Assistant, Arts of the Americas and Europe, Brooklyn Museum.