Artist
Julie Mehretu (American, born Ethiopia, 1970)American, born Ethiopia, 1970
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Mogamma, A Painting in Four Parts: Part 4
Date2012
Made inUnited States
MediumInk and acrylic on canvas
Dimensions180 × 144 in. (457.2 × 365.8 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment
Object number2013.458
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Gallery 309
Exposé
Explore Further
Department
Modern and Contemporary ArtObject Type
In 2011 the citizens of Cairo gathered in Tahrir Square, in front of the monumental A-Mogamma government building, to demand democratic rule for Egypt. Taking inspiration from this revolutionary and optimistic “Arab Spring,” Julie Mehretu created her Mogamma series, using outlines of the Mogamma building’s façade and the cityscape around Tahrir Square as a scaffold for four monumental paintings. This is the final canvas of the series, and her expressive layering of image and gesture suggests the gathering masses, the flow of information, and the larger forces of political change.
ProvenanceThe artist; [White Cube, London]; purchased by MFAH, 2013.
Exhibition History"dOCUMENTA (13)," Kassel, Germany, June 9 – September 16, 2012
"Julie Mehretu: Liminal Squared," White Cube, London, May 1 – July 7, 2013
“Contemporary Art: Selections from the Museum’s Collection,” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, July 3–September 21, 2014.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Verso, printed label on canvas backboard: WHITE CUBE/ Julie Mehretu / Mogamma, A Painting in Four Parts: Part 4 / 2012 / Ink and acrylic on canvas / 180 x 144 in. (457.2 x 365.8 cm) / JJ46254 / 144–152 Bermondsey Street London SE1 3TQ United Kingdom
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
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