Martina Tanga, on "Touching Roots: Black Ancestral Legacies in the Americas" (1 of 7)

In which Theo & Brian interview curator, Martina Tanga, about, "Touching Roots: Black Ancestral Legacies in the Americas."

The exhibition is titled “Touching Roots, Black Ancestral Legacies in the Americas”, and it is located on the third floor of the Art of the Americas wing in the MFA.

This exhibition is included with general admission, so there is no extra cost to see it, and we highly recommend you check it out.

The first interview we are going to present to you was with Martina Tanga, a curator of the MFA’s Art of the Americas collection. Martina was our original contact for this story, and she graciously introduced us to the other “Touching Roots” contributors.

We were able to talk to a bunch of the curators and artists involved in the exhibition, and for the sake of clarity, we are going to release these in chronological order, so you can learn with us. Thanks for tuning in, and enjoy the show.

Episode artwork by Loïs Mailou Jones, Ubi Girl from Tai Region, 1972

Boston Art Podcast is made by Brian Huntress & Theodora Earthwurms

Thanks to Joel Mongeon of Black Market Therapy for additional editing.

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Text below sourced from https://www.mfa.org/exhibition/touching-roots

Africa is at once a point of origin and a myriad of associations—real and imagined—for many Black artists working in the Americas. In the 20th century, some artists self-consciously responded to writer and philosopher Alain LeRoy Locke’s call to engage with “those ancestral arts.” Others continued to practice African artistic traditions passed down through generations.

This exhibition traces narratives of Blackness across the Atlantic world by bringing together work from artists who absorbed and reinterpreted African artistic practices, sacred customs, and cultural expressions. The artworks honor ancestral spirits and Black legacies through painting, sculpture, textiles, and dance. Artists from throughout the Americas are represented—with a special focus on those from or working in New England, like Allan Rohan Crite, Napoleon Jones-Henderson, Ifé Franklin, Bryan McFarlane, Karen Hampton, and Stephen Hamilton. Highlights from the collection include Ubi Girl from Tai Region (1972) by Loïs Mailou Jones, African Woman (about 1933) by James Richmond Barthé, Untitled (1943) by Wifredo Lam, and George Jackson (1971) by Kofi Bailey.

Visitors can explore how shared cultural heritages created connections that formed the basis of communities, highlighting the importance of Africa’s presence in the Americas. By turning their gaze inward and toward Africa, Black artists grounded their artistic expressions and infused strength and insight into their work.

This exhibition accompanies “Stories Artists Tell: Art of the Americas, the 20th Century,” a suite of galleries spanning place and time, and exploring different themes surrounding 20th-century art from the Americas.

Outside scholars and collaborators have been essential in the conceptualization and planning of this exhibition. Many thanks to Chenoa Baker, Kyrah Malika Daniels, Napoleon Jones-Henderson, and Stephen Hamilton.