American Academy in Berlin’s Post

"Above all, I would say that my goal is to think through art not just about it when planning an exhibition," said Naomi Beckwith, Deputy Director and Jennifer and David Stockman Chief Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, and Artistic Director, documenta 16. In conversation with Academy senior arts advisor Nana Bahlmann, Beckwith reflected on the influences shaping her practice and on the experiences of Black women in Germany, situating them within broader African diasporic perspectives and drawing on voices such as May Ayim. Grounded in her view of art history and curating as practices that foreground the lived realities of Black culture and their vitality in global contemporary art, she shared insights into her curatorial approach and preparation for documenta 16: "The goal is to be true to the artists' goals, to walk with them. And not put my ego and all my thoughts in the foreground, but to stay a little bit behind the artists," Beckwith said. 📺 Watch here: https://buff.ly/Ug0aviB 📸 Annette Hornischer documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH