7 November 2020 – 16 May 2021
Pérez Art Museum Miami
Pérez Art Museum Miami presents Theaster Gates: Breathing from 7 November 2020. Gates' video Breathing (2010) was inspired by his interest in Eastern Buddhism as well as his lifelong relationship with traditional gospel music, a formative aspect of his Baptist upbringing.
Featuring singers from his experimental choir 'Black Monks' (formerly known as 'The Black Monks of Mississippi'), it overlays Black Southern Gospel and Blues with the monastic chants of Buddhism. Resulting in rich, hybrid melodies, it highlights the enduring potency of Black spiritual music while offering an immersive aural experience that transcends geographic and cultural boundaries.