Carrie Mae Weems: Past Tense

Carrie Mae Weems: Past Tense

Acclaimed artist Carrie Mae Weems, deemed “one of the more interesting artists working in the gap between art and politics” by The New York Times, presents a new performance-based work, Past Tense. Through music, text, projection, and video, this performance-lecture takes us on a deep dive into the enduring significance of the iconic Antigone and her profound relevance to our contemporary moment. Past Tense’s origins lie in Weems’ powerful work Grace Notes. “While working on Grace Notes for months it occurred to me that I was telling the story of Antigone, wherein an innocent man dies by unjustified means and his sister fights for the right to bury him honorably,” says Weems. “But the wider community refuses her; her right to justice, and to peace, is denied.” 

Through photography, video, installation, and performance works, Weems has created a complex body of art that investigates family relationships, gender roles, racism, classism, and politics. Although Weems’ work addresses a wide array of issues, her overarching commitment is to help us better understand our present by examining our collective past. Weems, the recipient of numerous awards, grants, and fellowships, including the prestigious MacArthur Genius grant, the W.E.B DuBois Medal, and Anderson Ranch’s National Artist Award, is represented in public and private collections around the world including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions at major national and international museums including the Whitney Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. 

Carrie Mae Weems: Past Tense is part of Living Together, curated by Rina Carvajal, MOAD’s Executive Director and Chief Curator, and independent curator Joseph R. Wolin. Living Together is made possible by the generous support of Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; and the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council.