Slavery, Race, and Identity in Kara Walker's Largest Exhibition in Spain, Now in Alicante

The largest exhibition of Kara Walker's work in Spain is now in Alicante. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA) unveiled the exhibition 'Kara Walker. Burning Village', born from the collection of Michael Jenkins and Javier Romero donated to the Alicante gallery.

The exhibition, opening this Friday at the MACA, showcases Kara Walker's chaotic analysis of race, identity, power, and desire. These, according to the artist, have always been used as systems of oppression and subjugation across centuries and continents.

Thus, 'Kara Walker. Burning Village' traverses the artist's trajectory over the past four decades, combining other works exhibited in the world's most important museums and collections, noted collector Javier Romero during his visit to the MACA this Wednesday.

"Kara Walker is one of those artists who has opened doors in the art world for many other creators from racial minorities, gender, and identity, thus breaking with the prevailing canons for centuries in museums and artistic institutions. For all this, she is a reference and fundamental artist."

In this new proposal from the MACA, 'Kara Walker. Burning Village' comprises 44 works that span part of Kara Walker's career and constitute one of the most comprehensive collections of the artist's work in European institutions.

The exhibition features drawings, engravings, sculptures, artist books, and one of her most recent videos. The show arises from the donations of these collectors, a total of 31 works, along with other pieces that have travelled to Alicante from New York, which were deposited at the MACA in 2024.

These pieces date from 1996 to her latest animated film, exhibited courtesy of the artist. Her work addresses themes of violence, identity, race and sexuality in the context of the still-ongoing psychological wound caused by the tragic legacy of slavery, presenting a critical view of the historical past and examining racial and gender stereotypes in our current society.

Kara Walker's exhibition in Alicante is curated by MACA's conservator, Rosa Castells, who noted this Wednesday that the artist's work is "necessary and essential", as well as "suggestive". Of the collection, she highlighted that "it has so many readings, so many nuances that enrich the discourse and cannot leave the viewer indifferent".

Additionally, she again thanked Jenkins and Romero for their donation, which made this exhibition possible, "placing the museum as an institution in current debates". According to Castells, the collectors had "the conviction of the relevance it could have for the MACA".

The acting Culture Councillor, Antonio Peral, also participated in this presentation of Kara Walker's exhibition in Alicante, pointing out that this "once again places the city on the cultural map not only nationally but internationally, with an exhibition of undeniable quality and interest".

In this regard, he referred to "the importance of Alicante and the MACA hosting the largest exhibition to date in our country of one of the most relevant contemporary artists on the international scene." "Her work, always committed to themes such as violence or slavery, allows us to speak transversally about human rights."