Awol Erizku: Mystic Parallax, The Momentary, Bentonville

Aperture and the Momentary present Awol Erizku: Mystic Parallax, an exhibition of photographs, paintings, sculptures, installations, and soundscape interventions that examine and reimagine Blackness in contemporary culture, while engaging traditions of spirituality and Surrealism.

Awol Erizku: Mystic Parallax expands upon works featured in Erizku’s first monograph, Mystic Parallax (2023), copublished by Aperture and the Momentary, showcasing Erizku’s practice that critically engages art history, personal experience, and Pan-African thought and symbolism. Working across photography, film, video, painting, and installation, Erizku references and re-imagines African American visual culture, from hip-hop vernacular to Nefertiti, while nodding to traditions of spirituality and Surrealism. The exhibition and book assemble over ten years of work, blending the artist’s studio practice with his celebrated images produced as an in-demand editorial photographer, and feature his stunning portraits of Black cultural icons, including Viola Davis, Amanda Gorman, and Michael B. Jordan.

In addition to Erizku’s photography, the exhibition will feature a six-foot mirrored bust of Nefertiti casting a galaxy of shimmering light from the ceiling; an epic seventy-five-foot collage displaying a mixture of iconic works and never-before-seen photos from the artist’s career; and a new installation titled Celestial Bloom, which features a Cessna 150 airplane, suspended in the air and overflowing with brilliant bursts of flowers arranged by the floral designer Sarah Erizku, the artist’s wife. 

“My focus extends beyond mere preoccupation with art history; it’s deeply intertwined with my vision for cultural evolution,” said Erizku. “This line of thinking often leads me back to music. When I began drawing connections and creating imagery inspired by lyrics or subcultures, it stemmed from a place of reverence and deep understanding of their essence. I make a concerted effort to elevate these influences, honoring their significance while pushing boundaries.”  

To celebrate the exhibition’s opening, Awol Erizku will perform a DJ set with Kitty Ca$h at an afterparty for the Momentary’s John Legend concert on June 1. The day will feature free events, including a book signing with Erizku and a screening of the artist’s film Serendipity. Awol Erizku: Mystic Parallax is open to the public with free admission.

Curated by Sarah Meister, Executive Director at Aperture; Alejo Benedetti, Curator, Contemporary Art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and The Momentary; and Elise Raborg, Curatorial Associate, Contemporary Art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and The Momentary.

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Awol Erizku (born in Ethiopia, 1988) is a conceptual artist who lives and works between New York and Los Angeles. He graduated from Cooper Union in 2010 and received his MFA from the Yale School of Art in 2014. Erizku has exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto; Ben Brown Fine Arts, Hong Kong; Night Gallery, Los Angeles; Gagosian, New York; and FLAG Art Foundation, New York. 

The Momentary is an extension of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded by Alice Walton. Opened in February of 2020 in Downtown Bentonville, The Momentary is a platform for the art, food, and music of our time. It is a catalyst for creativity and economic vitality, and a welcoming hub that gathers and celebrates local heroes and international stars. The Momentary was founded by the Walton family and is based on the vision of Tom, Olivia, and Steuart Walton.

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Image: Awol Erizku, Ask the Dust, Rolling Stones, 2016; from Awol Erizku: Mystic Parallax (Aperture, 2023). Floral design: Sarah Erizku. Courtesy the artist.