Carrie Mae Weems - The Heart of the Matter
20.03.2026
23.08.2026
The Heart of the Matter is the first retrospective of influential American artist Carrie Mae Weems (1953) in Belgium. Through her incisive photographic works and video installations she explores themes of race, gender, power and memory.
Weems often appears in her photos as a subject, a guide and a muse. Her experiences as a Black woman inform her exploration of ‘forgotten’ histories. She reveals places that are often left out of the picture: from intimate kitchen table settings to film sets, and from African-American churches to former plantations. Her work invokes personal stories to address the complexities and injustices of the world around us.
The exhibition comprises more than 100 photographs and videos, including landmark works such as Museums (2006) and Kitchen Table Series (1990). Especially for this exhibition, Weems created the series Preach (2025), which points to the importance of faith both personally and societally. In this series, the art and architecture of spirituality emerge as powerful forms of resistance.
Carrie Mae Weems' work is represented in collections around the world and has been exhibited internationally at MoMA, the Guggenheim, Tate, Centre Pompidou, the Barbican, Luma 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.