JACKSON — An exhibition of 17 works examining the socially engaged practice of artist Nick Cave is among the newest offerings of the Mississippi Museum of Art.

“Nick Cave: Feat.” will be on view from Oct. 26- Feb. 16, 2020, at the museum, which is located at 380 South Lamar Street in Jackson. An opening panel discussion for Museum members is scheduled for Oct. 24.

The survey of Nick Cave’s (b. 1959) work includes sculpture, video, and installations providing visitors with a range of immersive interactions with color and sound that bring to light urgent issues of our times.  

“By exploring themes of identity, humanity, equity, and social justice, Cave prompts viewers to consider their own civic responsibilities, imaginations, and aspirations through a creative lens. His goal is to both inspire and empower, inviting people to look at one another without judgement,” said Museum Director Betsy Bradley

Among the works featured are 10 of Cave’s signature “soundsuits”— a series of anthropomorphic sculptures made from of a variety of repurposed everyday objects and materials that can be worn or displayed. They are based on the scale of his body. The soundsuits were originally created by Cave as a response to the 1991 beating of Rodney King, an African American man, by Los Angeles policemen. The horrific event was caught on camera and widely broadcasted on news programs. Cave conceived the suit as a protective covering against police brutality, preventing the wearer from being profiled by race, gender, or socio-economic standing.

Today, the exuberantly colored and textured soundsuits incorporate fabric, beads, buttons, toys, twigs, and scavenged items. They are part of Cave’s ongoing series that has become a display of resistance to police profiling and gun violence across the country. The sculptures have been worn by the artist in his performative works, incorporating choreography and drawing on traditional, ceremonial, and folkloric attire from around the world.

Cave’s installations are immersive experiences designed so viewers can pause and enjoy a contemplative moment. Button Walls (2013) are made with a myriad of sparkling buttons affixed to dark colored material to suggest a star-filled night sky. 

Blot (2012) is a video projection of a figure wearing a black raffia soundsuit in constant motion against a white backdrop. The large-scale installation Architectural Forest (2011) comprises thousands of colored beads and strands of bamboo hung from the ceiling suggesting a hallucinatory landscape.

An exhibition highlight is a set of sculptures mounted on the walls made up of beads, ceramic birds, metal flowers, decorative objects, and castoffs found in thrift stores and flea markets. These works convey the importance of preserving and sharing memories, an important element of Cave’s work. 

The opening panel discussion for Museum members on Oct. 24 will begin at 5:30 p.m. Moderated by publisher Kimberly Griffin, the opening panel will feature artists Nick Cave, Hinds County Sheriff Lee Vance, and former Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson in a discussion of how the themes of race, gun violence, and civic responsibility explored in Cave’s artwork impacts their own work in the community and the lives of black boys and men.

An unorthodox exhibition “catalogue” accompanies the exhibition. It is a large tapestry or spreadsheet of sorts, made of a durable, weather-resistant material that, unfurled, can potentially serve an array of functions — wall art, a picnic blanket, a tablecloth—depending on the user’s imagination and preference. In the spirit of Cave’s sculptural work and public performances, it also offers the viewpoints of multiple perspectives from a cross-section of disciplines. Collaborators on past projects, including choreographer Bill T. Jones and current Nashville creatives, both established and emerging, were invited to reflect on aspects of Cave’s practice, such as justice and transformation. (Available for purchase in The Museum Store.)

Nick Cave: Feat. is a ticketed exhibition. Ticket prices are: $15 per person, $13 advance purchase until Oct. 25; $13, seniors and groups of 10-plus; $10, college students with school ID; free for Museum members and children ages 5 and under; free for K-12 students on Tuesdays and Thursdays thanks to Feild Cooperative Association and BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi/

The exhibition was organized by the Frist Art Museum, where it debuted on Nov. 10, 2017. Its presentation in Jackson is made possible by Ford Foundation, with additional support from Busby Companies.

About the Mississippi Museum of Art

The Mississippi Museum of Art, in Jackson, is the largest art museum in the state. The Mississippi Art Association, established in 1911, was the precursor to the current Museum, founded in 1978 as a community-supported institution. The Museum’s permanent collection includes paintings, photography, multimedia works, and sculpture by Mississippi, American, and international artists. The Museum offers year-round educational programs for both children and adults. The Museum has 31 affiliate sites across the state that benefit from the loan of artworks and traveling exhibitions organized by the Museum, ensuring that those who cannot visit Jackson can still enjoy the state’s rich cultural history.

The Mississippi Museum of Art and its programs are sponsored in part by the city of Jackson and Visit Jackson. Support is also provided in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.