'John Akomfrah: Five Murmurations' at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C., USA

14 October 2023

From 14 October 2023 to January 2024, John Akomfrah's 2021 three-channel film installation Five Murmurations is presentated at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

Comprising five chapters, or "murmurations," inspired by the formations of protective flocks of birds, the exhibition weaves a black-and-white montage across three screens delving into the tumultuous years between 2019 and 2021. This visual essay of our times combines iconic works of art with real-time footage, chronicling the global COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and the worldwide protests in support of Black Lives Matter. In a captivating installation, Akomfrah offers his profound insights into post-colonialism, diasporic experience, and memory within a time of emergency.

Find further information via the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.