National Museum of African Art brings us the sounds of a Nigerian market
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Version 0 of 1. The calls of traders hawking their wares and customers bargaining for prices mix with the urban bustle of Nigeria’s largest city in “Market Symphony,” a site-specific sound art installation that opened last week at the National Museum of African Art. Commissioned by the museum, the work from contemporary artist Emeka Ogbohe vokes the vitality of the Balogun Market and the surrounding city, allowing visitors to experience Africa in an unusual way, said curator Karen E. Milbourne. “Africa is such a vibrantly aural space,” Milbourne said. “The taxis and buses, vendors calling out their wares, the layers of language and the experience of the space. It can transport you 7,000 miles.” “Market Symphony” is the first work of sound art to be featured at the museum, Milbourne said, adding that the work will allow the institution to engage with the visually impaired and other audiences that have less opportunity to experience its art. Speakers mounted on colorful enamelware trays – traditionally found in the stalls of markets such as Balogun – have been installed in the gallery, and the work’s 28 tracks will play when visitors enter the space. “It helps us engage with our senses in ways we forget,” Milbourne said. “You think you’re going to have an ocular epiphany at the museum. But this is wonderful because it allows you to engage more of your senses at once.” Milbourne has been working with Ogboh for two years on the project, and in that time his experimental work has attracted international attention. His art was featured in the 2015 Venice Biennale, and his pieces are part of private collections around the world. “Some of the most compelling artists who are working in the most innovative platforms are from Africa,” Milbourne said. “I would love for people to come out [of the gallery] and say, ‘Cool.’ ” Five more to watch: This month is your last chance to see Gilbert Stuart’s famous Lansdowne portrait of George Washington before the National Portrait Gallery removes it for conservation and analysis. Created in 1796, during Washington’s second term, the work is recognized for its symbolic portrait of the office of the president as well as the first man elected to serve. A highlight of the gallery’s “America’s Presidents” exhibition, it was purchased by the museum in 2001. It is expected to return to the gallery in 18 months. Through Feb. 28 at the National Portrait Gallery, Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, Eighth and F streets NW. npg.si.edu As this is an election year, the National Museum of American History focuses on the election process with “Hooray for Politics.” The exhibit will feature rally signs for the 2016 presidential candidates as well as examples of ballot boxes, voting booths and an automated voting machine dating to 1898. Ongoing at the National Museum of American History, Constitution Avenue between 12th and 14th streets NW. americanhistory.si.edu. At the Anacostia Museum, “Twelve Years That Shook and Shaped Washington: 1963-1975” examines the lasting effects of these years on the nation’s capital. The exhibit focuses on the arts, race, urban renewal and political protests to explore how the District evolved into a vibrant, multicultural hub. Through Oct. 23 at the Anacostia Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu. The National Archives Museum focuses on constitutional amendments in its upcoming exhibit, “Amending America.” Visitors can learn about some of the 11,000 proposals to amend the U.S. Constitution and why only 27 have succeeded. March 11-Sept. 4, 2017, at the National Archives, Constitution Avenue between Seventh and Ninth streets NW. archives.gov/museum . Dramatic views of lunar landscapes — taken over six years by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera — go on view later this month at the National Air and Space Museum. Sixty-one large prints are featured in “A New Moon Rises,” an exhibit that gives visitors new perspectives on the moon, from the Apollo landing sites to mountains that emerge from the dark. Opening Feb. 26 at the National Air and Space Museum, Independence Avenue and Sixth Street SW. airandspace.si.edu . READ MORE: A Shakespeare tale with honesty and heart Maren Morris stands out on a stacked country bill at Fillmore In uncovering tensions, productions expose humor and society’s fears William Cameron Menzies’s film work brough aesthetic to screen Artist Robert Irwin’s roots run deep in Southern California Rites of spring: classical concerts not to miss |