hexagon icon
Past

We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz

Oct. 1, 2020 – Feb. 14, 2021

This exhibition, organized by artist Jonathan Horowitz, brings together more than 70 voices, ranging from an 18th century portraitist to contemporary artists commissioned for this exhibition, to draw connections between historical oppression and the cultural and political challenges we confront in the world today.

Originally scheduled to open in March 2020, We Fight to Build a Free World is an exhibition curated by Jonathan Horowitz, a New York-based artist who for three decades has made work that engages critically with politics and culture. Under his direction, the exhibition looks at how artists have historically responded to the rise of authoritarianism and xenophobia as well as racism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of bigotry. The exhibition also addresses issues surrounding immigration, assimilation, and cultural identity.

Conceived from a starting point in 2017 of addressing the resurgence of anti-Semitism, this exhibition uses a broader lens to look at oppression and bigotry. The relevance of this exhibition has become more acute as the country reels from numerous incidents of police brutality towards people of color and a reckoning with the history of systemic racism. In the organization of this project, Jonathan Horowitz has acted as curator, researcher, activist, and artist.

The exhibition’s title, We Fight to Build a Free World, is adapted from a painting by Ben Shahn, which will be on view.  The installation juxtaposes diverse works, making thematic connections across time and place, raising questions and fostering dialogue.

Featuring more than 80 works of painting, sculpture, photography, and video, the exhibition includes examples of American social realism from the 1930s and 1940s and new works by Jonathan Horowitz, as well as 36 commissioned protest posters by contemporary artists, including Judith Bernstein, Marcel Dzama, Rico Gatson, Kim Gordon and Jason Smith, Cheyenne Julien, Christine Sun Kim, Guadalupe Maravilla, and Marilyn Minter. Also included are works by Asco, Huma Bhabha, Enrique Chagoya, Robert Colescott, Philip Evergood, Luis Jiménez, Rebecca Lepkoff, Glenn Ligon, Abraham Manievich, Bernard Perlin, Adrian Piper, Fritz Scholder, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Henry Sugimoto, Kara Walker, Andy Warhol, Max Weber, and Charles White, among others.

#JonathanHorowitz

 

In the Press
“Artwork (Jonathan Horowitz has) created, and curated, from a dazzling array of the most brilliant artists addressing racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia–man’s numerous flavors of hatred–sends chills down the spine” — Forbes

“abounds with unexpected juxtapositions” — The New York Times

“acutely relevant and brave” — The Jerusalem Post

“comprehensive and powerful” — The Guardian

The exhibition is a project by artist Jonathan Horowitz, organized in consultation with Darsie Alexander, Susan & Elihu Rose Chief Curator, Shira Backer, Leon Levy Assistant Curator, and Ruth Beesch, Senior Deputy Director.

We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz is made possible by Toby Devan Lewis, the Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg Foundation, the Leon Levy Foundation, and other generous donors.

Additional support is provided through the Centennial Fund, the Peter Jay Sharp Fund, and the Barbara S. Horowitz Contemporary Art Fund.

Gallery wall covered in red brick wallpaper, displaying five rows of colorful, graphic posters with political and social messages, under ceiling track lighting.

Installation view of "We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz" October 1, 2020 - February 7, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

Exhibition highlights

  • Five illustrated posters mounted on a red brick wall, each labeled

    Ben Shahn, We Fight For A Free World!, c. 1942, gouache and tempera on board. Artwork © Estate of Ben Shahn / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY.

  • Six large fist emojis mounted on a white wall, progressing from yellow on the left to a range of skin tones from light to dark on the right, separated by a vertical line between the yellow fist and the others.

    Jonathan Horowitz, Power, 2019, UV print on PVC board, vinyl sticker. Artwork © Jonathan Horowitz. Courtesy of Sadie Coles HQ, London. Photo: Robert Glowacki.

  • Illustration of a sailing ship tilting on dark, swirling waters under a cloudy, muted sky with soft brushstrokes.

    Kara Walker, Middle Passages (2), 2004, gouache, cut paper, and collage on board. Collection of Marc Mills via Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York. Artwork © Kara Walker. Courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.

  • Two boys in suits and yarmulkes stand in front of a green wall densely covered with graffiti-like names; one boy holds a book, while the other looks away, set against a subway platform labeled

    Bernard Perlin, Orthodox Boys, 1948, tempera on board. Tate, presented by Lincoln Kirstein through the Institute of Contemporary Arts 1950. Artwork © Bernard Perlin. Image courtesy of Tate.

  • A vibrant, reimagined painting of George Washington Carver crossing the Delaware, with Black figures in historical and modern attire rowing a wooden boat through icy waters; an American flag waves dramatically behind them under a dynamic sky.

    Robert Colescott, George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware: Page from an American History Textbook, 1975, acrylic on canvas. Private collection. Artwork © Estate of Robert Colescott / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image courtesy of Blum & Poe.

  • Black and white portrait of a skeletal figure with curly hair and a colonial-style hat, with dark hollow eyes and exposed teeth, outlined with a faint red line; handwritten text and signatures appear below the image.

    Malaquias Montoya, Cristobal Colón, 1992, offset-lithograph. Artwork © and courtesy of Malaquias Montoya.

  • Virtual tour of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz led by Jonathan Horowitz and Darsie Alexander, Susan and Elihu Rose Chief Curator. Video by SandenWolff.

    Virtual tour of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz led by Jonathan Horowitz and Darsie Alexander, Susan and Elihu Rose Chief Curator. Video by SandenWolff.

  • Entrance to exhibition with a large wall graphic reading

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Gallery room with wallpaper made up of repeated colorful portraits of various celebrities; central dark wood fireplace with framed portrait above; display case with sculpture in foreground and bench to the right; monitor and framed artwork mounted on left and right walls.

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Gallery room with walls covered in colorful celebrity portraits; large central painting depicting George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware; two black and white portraits mounted to the left; black bench centered on wooden floor beneath the artworks.

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Gallery view showing a dark-toned painting of clustered buildings and a horse on the right wall; doorway leads into adjacent room with walls covered in colorful celebrity portraits and a large painting of George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware.

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Metal sculpture of distorted gate fragments resting on the floor against a pale blue wall; one curved piece stands upright while others lie on the light wood floor, with the word

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Gallery space with large black-and-white mural of writhing figures on the back wall, several framed artworks mounted on top of it; in the foreground stands a tall, black, glossy, shrouded sculpture resembling a hooded figure, on light wood floors under a dark wooden ceiling.

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Gallery interior featuring a tall, glossy black draped sculpture centered on light wood flooring; background wall displays five framed artworks, including a large abstract piece with red and black tones and four smaller photographs; ornate dark wood entryway visible to the left, leading into an adjacent room.

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Gallery wall displaying a small framed black-and-white photograph on the left and two large horizontal video screens on the right; the left video screen shows two people standing on an awards stage, while the right screen shows a group of people seated around a dining table in a warmly lit home interior.

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Gallery installation with a red and blue carpeted floor, featuring a central wooden sculpture of a standing human figure. On the left wall, there are raised fist symbols in multiple skin tones, a digital map of the United States, and framed artworks. On the right wall are monochrome drawings and prints, including a detailed illustration with a Star of David. The far wall displays bold text reading “THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW.”

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Mirror installation with the words

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Mirror installation with the words

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves

  • Gallery wall displaying a series of raised fist symbols in various skin tones, a U.S. map with red and blue states on a monitor, and framed artworks including a black-and-white portrait and several monochromatic prints. On the right, large wall text reads

    Installation view of We Fight to Build a Free World: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz. October 1, 2020 - February 14, 2021, at the Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Kris Graves