The High Museum of Art will be the exclusive venue in the Southeastern United States to present “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys,” the first major exhibition of the art collection owned by musicians Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean) and Alicia Keys.
Organized by the Brooklyn Museum, where it debuted in February, “Giants” will come to Atlanta from Sept. 13 to Jan. 19, 2025. The exhibit features a focused selection from the couple’s holdings, spotlighting works by multigenerational Black diasporic artists, from 20th century legends such as Nick Cave, Lorna Simpson and Barkley L. Hendricks, to artists of a younger generation including Deana Lawson, Amy Sherald and Ebony G. Patterson.
“We are honored to present these extraordinary artworks from the Deans’ unparalleled collection, which features some of the most important artists of the 20th and 21st centuries,” said the High’s Director Rand Suffolk in a press release. “Many of these artists are featured in the High’s collection, and they also include two previous recipients of our David C. Driskell Prize: Ebony G. Patterson and Amy Sherald. So, it’s fitting for us to bring this exhibition to Atlanta.”
“Giants” reflects the Deans’ ethos of “collecting and preserving the culture of ourselves for ourselves, now and into the future.” Through approximately 115 objects, including 98 major artworks, the exhibit explores how the featured artists and their work have grappled with societal issues. In addition to paintings, photographs and sculptures, the galleries will include noteworthy examples of the Deans’ early non-art collecting interests, including albums, musical equipment and BMX bikes.
Paying homage to legendary elder artists, the section “On the Shoulders of Giants” features work by artists who have left an indelible mark on the world. In her large, colorful abstract paintings, Esther Mahlangu reimagines the long-standing tradition of South African Ndebele house painting. The legacy of portrait and street photography are exemplified in the works of Kwame Brathwaite, Malick Sidibé and Parks, the last of which the Deans hold the largest private collection. These internationally renowned photographers documented moments of self-presentation and pride, as well as everyday life and sociopolitical milestones. They, along with artists such as Jean Michel Basquiat, Ernie Barnes and Hendricks, not only captured the moment in which they lived but also laid the foundation for current and future generations of artists.
The “Giant Conversations” section explores how artists have always critiqued and commented on the world around them. The artists on view address a range of issues Black people have faced throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Cave’s textured sculptures examine how Black people, particularly men, must assume costumes to conceal and protect themselves against violence. Other artists such as Jerome Lagarrigue and Henry Taylor present issues of protest and lack of visibility due to homelessness.
Over a dozen photographs by Jamel Shabazz honor the everyday people walking the streets of New York from the 1980s to the present. Sherald’s large-scale diptych portrays Baltimore, Maryland, dirt bike culture and the joyful freedom that comes with riding.
The “Giant Presence” section of the exhibition offers monumental artworks by Nina Chanel Abney, Titus Kaphar and Meleko Mokgosi.
For more information, visit high.org.
