Negarra A. Kudumu is something like a marvelous cloud of thinking and practices that are constantly processing contemporary art, curation, and critical theory. Her main interest is, to use her words, “the emerging visual culture of the African continent, Iran, South Asia, and their respective diasporas.” In her essays and lectures, ideas from a variety of sources (high and low) meet at points that crackle and spark. For example, her lectures and posts on Black Constellation, the local/international art movement that counts Shabazz Palaces among its members, are as rich and insightful as the works by the movement’s artists. She is currently manager of public programs at the Frye Art Museum, where she recently organized Those Without Voice, an exhibition of photo and video work created by local high-school students to express their views on social issues.
