Masterclass: ARTHUR JAFA_SLAVES MASTERS AND US

As part of the exhibition Corps et âmes, the Bourse de Commerce presents Arthur Jafa: Remixed Party, a series of events built around three carte blanche invitations extended to contemporary artists.

On Sunday, May 25, Arthur Jafa is invited to a major masterclass where he will respond to questions from figures in the worlds of art, music, and cinema.

Arthur Jafa

A seminal figure of blackness – the consciousness and affirmation of Black identity – Arthur Jafa is a key video artist on the contemporary scene. His work explores the pursuit of an African-American aesthetic, systemic racism, social and economic inequalities, and the history of Black communities. Arthur Jafa is both a pioneer and mentor to many artists across disciplines: visual artists, filmmakers, and musicians. His deformalist and transgenerational practice pushing beyond the boundaries of museum or cinematic art and engaging with a multicultural and international audience.

Through a variety of media, the work of Los Angeles–based artist and filmmaker Arthur Jafa embraces and celebrates Black American culture, imbuing it with its full dignity. From Barack Obama to gospel choirs, Aretha Franklin to Black Lives Matter uprisings, and Miles Davis to mass media imagery, Arthur Jafa draws on pop culture and news archives to build a collage and montage-based aesthetic, reflecting his role as an image collector and layering multiple references. He elevates Black cultural icons, placing them within the complex history of the United States.

Three of Arthur Jafa’s films, part of the Pinault Collection, are presented for the first time in Paris as part of the Corps et âmes exhibition. In the Rotunda, Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death transforms the space into a resonant chamber of music and the activism of African-American icons – Martin Luther King Jr., Jimi Hendrix, Barack Obama, Beyoncé – granting them universal reach. The artist also takes over Gallery 2 and the museum’s Studio, inviting viewers to engage physically and emotionally with his films.