Nari Ward. Ground Break

The artist designs sculptures and installations by interweaving and juxtaposing found objects

Father and Sons (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

Nari Ward (b. 1963, St. Andrew, Jamaica; lives and works in New York) deals with themes related to many social and political aspects, particularly the notions of identity, justice, racial issues, and memory. 

“Ground Break” (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

Everyday materials— chosen for their narrative power and connection to the places where they were found— are knotted, perforated, or pressed via a process that transforms them into elements with a devotional meaning and function.

“Ground Break” (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

The retrospective “Ground Break” presents a large body of work to investigate Nari Ward’s art through projects focused on collaboration and performance.

Geography Pallets (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

The works on display in the Navate include four large-scale installations that Ward created between 1996 and 2000 for Ralph Lemon’s performance project Geography Trilogy (1997–2004). 

The project investigated issues of identity and cultural heritage through various dance traditions.

Hunger Cradle (detail) (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

The exhibition opens with a site-specific work, Hunger Cradle (1996), composed of a complex network of interlaced threads, unveiling hidden objects within its structure found in a former fire station in Harlem.

The act of accumulating and cradling conjures up the idea of a place of protection but also transformation, like an insect’s cocoon.

“Ground Break” (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

Ground Break (2024) is a floor installation composed of more than 4000 concrete bricks topped with copper sheets. A decorative spiral motif referring to the cyclical nature of the cosmos emerges on the surface through a process of stenciling and chemical patination.

“Ground Break” (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

In Pirelli HangarBicocca the artwork is enriched with sound activations Groundings under the direction of artist Justin Randolph Thompson and features the participation of other artists and activists using instruments and sounds inspired by the materials of Ward’s production.

“Ground Break” (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

American Bottle Anthem Booth (2024) and Italian Bottle Anthem Booth (2024) are made especially for the exhibition and are built around two telephone booths. The use of these objects is a way for the artist to explore the influence of pop culture on the collective imagination.

“Ground Break” (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

The sounds consist of various interpretations of the American and Italian national anthems composed using the sound of glass bottles and water. 

In this work, the artist invites us to reflect on the significance of nationalisms that promote the idea of a mythical origin of national identity and, through the accumulation of materials, to perceive the layered nature of the history of identity.

Carpet Angel (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

Carpet Angel (1992) juxtaposes “high” and “low” in terms of both form and meaning.
Ward used pieces of carpets and rugs, interweaving them with plastic bags and bottles, screws, and rope.

The work evokes the concepts of sanctification or regeneration of what has been discarded, as well as spiritual redemption through the concrete nature of the materials.

“Ground Break” (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

With the work Super Stud (1994/2004), Ward emphasizes the notion of control over knowledge through which power is exerted. 

Super Stud (detail) (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

It also refers to transatlantic voyages and recounts the clash/encounter between Wester and Caribbean cultures.

Happy Smilers: Duty Free Shopping (detail) (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

In the installation Happy Smilers: Duty Free Shopping (1996), Ward sharply criticizes tourism and the commercialization of cultural identities, reduced to pre-packaged ideas to satisfy international consumers.

Happy Smilers: Duty Free Shopping (detail) (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

The entrance to the room resembles that of a duty-free shop. Inside, the room’s perimeter is marked by a corridor made from household furniture tied together with fire hoses, a recurring object in the artist’s work. 

Suspended in the center of the space, a fire escape evokes a sense of spiritual transcendence, while an aloe vera plant symbolizes regeneration.

“Ground Break” (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

Numerous international institutions have presented Nari Ward’s solo exhibitions, including: Fondazione Nicola Trussardi, Milan (2022); New Museum, New York (2019, 1993); Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, Contemporary Art Museum, Houston (2019); The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield (2019); 

deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln (2018); Socrates Sculpture Park, New York, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (2017); The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia (2016); Pérez Art Museum Miami, Scad Museum of Art, Savannah (2015); 

Wishing Arena (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

LSU Museum of Art, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2014); Château de Blandy-Les-Tours, France (2013); MASS MoCa, Massachusetts (2011); Contemporary Art Galleries at the University of Connecticut (2007); Palazzo delle Papesse - Contemporary Art Center, Siena (2006); 

GAM, Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Turin (2001); Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (2001, 2000); Magasin, Grenoble (1994). 

“Ground Break” (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

Nari’s works have also been included in numerous international biennials, such as Sharjah Biennial (2023, 2005); Whitney Biennial (2006, 1995); Taipei Biennale (2006); documenta, Kassel (2002); Venice Biennale (1993). 

Apollo/Poll (2024) by Nari WardPirelli HangarBicocca

The artist has received many awards, including: Vilcek Prize in Fine Arts, New York (2017); Joyce Award, The Joyce Foundation, Chicago (2015); Nadine Carter Russell Chair, LSU College of Art + Design, Louisiana (2013); Rome Prize, American Academy in Rome (2012).

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