Glenn Ligon: All Over The Place

20 Sep 2024-2 Mar 2025

Overview

Experience the work of American contemporary artist Glenn Ligon in our landmark exhibition bringing together works by the artist alongside his unique interventions in our galleries.

Widely regarded as one of the most important artists working today, Ligon is best known for his text-based paintings which include the words of writers such as James Baldwin, Gertrude Stein and Zora Neale Hurston. Through these artworks, he explores the social, cultural and political constructions of race.

Alongside 15 of Ligon’s original paintings, sculptures and prints, All Over The Place presents a series of site-specific interventions curated by the artist throughout the Museum aimed at peeling back the layers of history and meaning to reveal a new perspective on our collection.

From the installation of his large-scale neon Waiting for the Barbarians (2021) in our portico entrance to the artist’s commentary of select artworks and objects from our collection, Ligon describes the exhibition as a ‘thread that winds its way through the Fitzwilliam, loose in some places, taut in others, which the visitor can choose to follow or encounter serendipitously.'