Ayana V. Jackson, Freedoms Frail Stranger, 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim.
As part of Photo España 2025 and in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Museo Nacional de Antropología, the exhibition “Nosce Te Ipsum: Membrum Fantasma” showcases Ayana V. Jackson’s work, which is driven by a multigenerational focus on the experiences of African communities in the Americas. Jackson’s series examines historical collections, using them to assess the impact of colonialism and the role photography plays in reinforcing social hierarchies and imbalances.
Jackson reinterprets colonial images to emancipate the Black body, challenging stereotypes and freeing the subjects from historical constraints. Her powerful portraits open a space to rethink photography as a tool for resistance against race, gender, and class constructions. Following her major exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in 2023, this marks Jackson’s first solo show in a European museum.
Jackson reinterprets colonial images to emancipate the Black body, challenging stereotypes and freeing the subjects from historical constraints. Her powerful portraits open a space to rethink photography as a tool for resistance against race, gender, and class constructions. Following her major exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in 2023, this marks Jackson’s first solo show in a European museum.
On view through August 31, 2025.
April 30, 2025
