Discover The Heart of the Matter, the first retrospective exhibition in Belgium of the influential American artist Carrie Mae Weems (1953). During a guided tour with a FOMU guide, you will explore poignant photographs and video installations in which Weems explores themes such as race, gender, power, and memory.
Weems is often the subject, guide, and muse in her photographs. Her experiences as a black woman are the starting point for her exploration of ‘forgotten’ histories. She shows places that often remain out of sight: from intimate kitchen tables to film sets, from African-American churches to former plantations. Weems weaves personal stories into her work to address the complexity and injustice in today's world.
The exhibition includes more than a hundred photographs and videos, including well-known series such as Museums (2006) and Kitchen Table Series (1990). Weems created the series Preach (2024), about the importance of faith, especially for this exhibition. Art and spirituality demonstrate their power as forms of resistance.
Carrie Mae Weems' work is represented in collections around the world and has been exhibited internationally at MoMA, the Guggenheim (New York), Tate, the Barbican (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Luma (Arles) and the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), among others.
The exhibition is organized by Gallerie d’Italia – Intesa Sanpaolo and Aperture and is curated by Sarah Hermanson Meister.
Practical information
- Duration: 90 minutes (1.5 hours)
- Max: 20 people per group
- One group can start at a time per time slot.
- Museum admission not included
- Period: from 20.03.2026 to 23.08.2026
What can you expect?
- During a 1.5-hour tour, the guide takes you through Carrie Mae Weems' oeuvre.
- The guide delves deeper into a selection of photographs and highlights the social context of the works.
- The guide will use techniques such as Visual Thinking Strategies to stimulate discussion.
- You will be encouraged to look at the photographs and film images consciously and in depth.
- It is possible to reserve whisper sets (audio amplification) for your tour. Please request this in advance by email.
