The Wallach Art Gallery at Columbia University is pleased to open Uptown Triennial 2023 on June 23. The third iteration in the series, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, is a visual arts tribute to the sonic — in the realms of music, soundscapes, and spoken word — that resonates with Harlem. Organized by Betti-Sue Hertz, Lewis Long, and Souleo, the exhibition is on view through September 17.

The 22 studio, media, post-graffiti, interdisciplinary, and performing artists in Uptown Triennial 2023 are Terry Adkins, Tiffany Alfonseca, Maria Chavez/Jordi Wheeler, Michael Cummings, Sonia Louise Davis, Lisa DuBois, Ivan Forde, Jeffrey Gibson, Kathleen Granados, Alteronce Gumby, Jewel Ham, Lucia Hierro, Carlos Jesus Martinez-Dominguez/FEEGZ, Beau McCall, Dindga McCannon, Ruben Natal-San Miguel, Rashaad Newsome, Bayeté Ross Smith, Carl Hancock Rux/Dianne Smith, and RaFia Santana.

Over the course of the 20th century, the Upper Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem became synonymous with urban culture inclusive of African Americans, Africans, and Latinx with roots in the Caribbean and beyond. This has created an ever-changing fusion of influences, especially in the realm of music and sound. The depth and range of sonic sources available to the Uptown Triennial 2023 artists — from jazz to merengue to soundscapes to hip-hop and mixtapes — resounds throughout the exhibition.

The exhibition is representative of several distinct approaches to the sonic world. Paintings with visual composition, patterns, and rhythms reference formal aspects of music and sometimes speech. Works featuring quilting blend historical African-American textile and musical traditions. Material research is central to a post-graffiti mural about Dominican-American music and a video installation fusing Jewish and African-American musical traditions. Memories of sharing music with family are evoked through recordings, sometimes on obsolete technologies. Paintings of parties suggest music through the performative gestures of bodies and dance videos incorporate music as a vehicle to structure movement. The public sphere is evoked in sculptures, photographs, and sound works.

The works in the exhibition create an exchange of ideas that transcend any one concept of what is possible when visual artists account for the significance of the sonic sphere. The references to Harlem as a crossroads of cultures, and art’s ability to generate connections across difference are evident throughout Uptown Triennial 2023.

Public Program

Uptown Triennial 2023 + Sundae Sermon Afternoon
Saturday, July 8 | 1–4pm (ET)
A festive summer afternoon celebrating Uptown Triennial 2023 with DJ Stormin Norman and Sundae Sermon, including special appearances by participating artists.

For more information, visit wallach.columbia.edu.