Theaster Gates at TANK Shanghai

TANK Shanghai presents a solo exhibition of Theaster Gates’ work from 19 March 2021. Transforming the structure of the exhibition space into a roller skating rink, Gates recreates a 1980s disco in the space, inviting visitors to experience the installation of works on roller skates. The project, 3 years in the making, aims to formulate an exhibition with a more open and diverse structure; a conduit for fostering new networks through the experience of skating, neon lights and music. The works exhibited draw on two important but widely distinct reference points for Gates: the minimal, abstract work of artist Agnes Martin and the research and statistics of African Americans, compiled by sociologist, historian and civil rights activist W.E.B Du Bois. At the centre of the skating rink, two new sculptures act as DJ booths for an invited selection of musicians and artists during the run of the show.