The Taíno civilization was decimated by Christopher Columbus and other European explorers during first contact, but the legacy of these people, who inhabited what is today called the Caribbean, continues to this day.
In a small exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, titled Arte del mar: Artistic Exchange in the Caribbean, Assistant Curator James Doyle showcases some of the rare wooden objects, along with the intricate gold pieces, fascinating stone stools, and other objects that have survived over the centuries. He explains what makes the artistic objects of the Taíno unique, why bats and other animals are common in the imagery, and what we know about a civilization that was drastically impacted by the devastation and genocide of European colonization.
Also, some good news: the run of the exhibition has been extended until June 27, 2021.
The music for this week’s episode is “The Shady Road” by artist B. Wurtz. His debut album, Some Songs, will be released on October 16 by Hen House Studios.
Subscribe to the Hyperallergic Podcast on Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts.
The Latest
Melting Robots Are the Future, Accept It
A new study details the creation of a hyper-flexible material inspired by an unexpected source: the humble sea cucumber.
Rijksmuseum’s Slavery Exhibition Is Coming to New York
The extensive exhibition confronts the Netherlands’s often-forgotten colonialist legacy.
Tulsa Artist Fellowship Calls for Artists and Arts Workers of All Disciplines
Ten awardees will receive a total of more than $1.95 million in support and resources in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Hobbyist With Metal Detector Discovers Enigmatic Roman Artifact
The 1,600-year-old fragment was part of a dodecahedron, a mysterious object that experts believe may have been linked to the occult.
Met Acquires Rare Portrait of Medici Nemesis Bindo Altoviti
The Renaissance work by Francesco Salviati is the museum’s first painting on marble.
Pedro Reyes Explores Disarmament in DIRECT ACTION at SITE Santa Fe
The Mexican artist confronts gun violence and nuclear power through sculpture, print, performance, and video work.
History Is Not an Open Book
The 1969 exhibition 5 + 1, and now Revisiting 5 + 1, are reminders that the history of Black Art in the United States is diverse rather than monolithic.
Omar Ba Paints the Pride and Pain of the Colonized
The artist’s solo US museum debut at the Baltimore Museum of Art is a contemptuous, at times satirical, take on oppression that gives way to a new history.
Call for Applications: Inspiration Lab Artists-in-Residence at University of the Arts
Ten artists will receive studio space and access to faculty, staff, students, workshops, and programming at an arts institution in the heart of Philadelphia.
Latinidad On Its Own Terms
Who tells a tale adds a tail: Latin America and contemporary art explores contemporary Latin American art without conforming to external expectations.
Every Digital Artwork Starts With a Sketch
Simulation Sketchbook takes as its starting point the reality that digital artists, like all artists, sketch out their work as well.
Onsite Gallery Presents more-than-human
The media artworks in this show at Toronto’s OCAD University tell a tale of symbiosis, intersections, and more-than-human relationality.
Is This the End of Twitter’s Beloved “Art Bots”?
Twitter’s curbing of free API access could affect accounts posting from museum collections or the archives of long-gone artists.
The Turner Prize Wrestles With an Identity Crisis
How does a selective competition fit with the contemporary art world’s aspirations toward greater inclusivity?