Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Yemeni Armed Forces: The battle is the battle of the entire Ummah and for its salvation.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We cannot tolerate any US attack or aggression in support of the Israeli enemy against Iran because it means the confiscation of the freedom, independence, and dignity of our nation.
Yemeni Armed Forces: The Israeli enemy seeks complete control over the region and implements the Zionist plan with open American support.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We affirm Yemen's principled position in rejecting the Zionist aggression against our brothers in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and any Arab or Islamic country.
Yemeni Armed Forces: We affirm our readiness to participate in targeting US ships and warships in the Red Sea if the US attacks Iran.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Iranian air defenses repel Israeli attack on military site in Shiraz.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Iran reports the activation of air defenses over Kashan.
IRGC: Operation to transport handmade bombs foiled in Gilan, north of Iran.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Iranian police says dismantled "electronic bomb" in west Tehran.
Israeli media: Drone explodes in Route 90 in Arraba after interception attempts failed.

MoMA kicks out black artist after white visitor said was 'aggressive'

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 29 Mar 2023 20:51
3 Min Read

Just because MoMA employees decided to believe a white visitor's version of an incident, a black well-known artist gets ejected from the museum.

  • x
  • In this Nov. 20, 2004, file photo, people pass in front of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.  (AP)
    In this Nov. 20, 2004, file photo, people pass in front of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. (AP)

British Ghanian visual artist Heather Agyepong was kicked out of an installation at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York -- that was supposed to be a "safe space for Black visitors" -- after an interaction with a white visitor who complained to employees that Agyepong was "aggressive".

The museum has apologized to Agyepong, and a MoMA spokesperson vowed the museum will work on protecting "the experiences of Black visitors and visitors from Indigenous communities and communities of colour" and will now "explore" bespoke staff training programs, according to a statement to The Art Newspaper.

Read: Ableism, sexism, & racism forces exhibition at London museum shutdown

"We reached out to Heather Agyepong and apologised," the spokesperson said. "We are committed to presenting programs that move race equity values forward and we acknowledge there will be challenges to work through and learn from as we support and invite artists and audiences to engage on these important issues."

After the incident, the artist posted on March 25 a video on Twitter, in which she explained what happened. She said that during her visit to the Black Power Naps installation, she was accused of being "aggressive" by a white lady just because Agyepong told her "I think the space is centred around Black people" after hearing the woman laughing. 

I just got kicked out of @MuseumModernArt #blackpowernaps installation because a white woman said I was "aggressive". pic.twitter.com/FRWEVeCq8e

— Heather Agyepong (@heatha_a) March 25, 2023

Related News

13-year-old shot dead by New York police had replica gun

Haley slams Trump's remarks on Black voters as 'disgusting'

Following a request for an interview at the time of publication, Agyepong did not respond.

Black Power Naps co-creator Navild Acosta was asked to comment about the incident and said that the artists' attempts "to create direct action, racial sensitivity trainings, outreach and social media campaigns" around the project "were not resourced" by MoMA.

"We insisted as soon as we were first contacted that this piece needed a serious commitment to anti-racism and that not doing so could warrant violence to our community, and we have been insisting ever since," Acosta said.

"It is only now that they are recognising how urgent this is and willing to remunerate this labour. It’s been an uphill battle. In January, we ourselves were told to be quiet in our own installation by a white visitor," he added.

Read: Black women artists accuse Wisconsin Museum of racism

It is worth noting that visual artist, performer/actor and maker, Heather Agyepong, lives and works in London and is regarded as one of her generation's top photographers. She won the Photographers Gallery New Talent Award and the Photo London x Nikon Emerging Photographer Award in 2021, and she has been nominated for The Prix Pictet on numerous occasions. She was also recently announced as a Nikon European Ambassador.

Her works have been performed, published, and displayed around the UK and internationally; The Centre national des arts plastiques in Paris, The Autograph ABP and the Hyman Collection in London, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and other institutions all have collections of her work. The recently opened Centre for British Photography in London is now featuring an exhibition of her series Wish You Were Here (2020).

  • Black Americans
  • New York
  • Black Lives Matter
  • London
  • Museum of Modern Art
  • Heather Agyepong

Most Read

Bin Salman: Islamic world backs Iran in call to Pezeshkian

MBS says Islamic world backs Iran in call with Pezeshkian

  • MENA
  • 15 Jun 2025
Iran launches 9th wave of Op. True Promise 3, destroys IOF air defense

Iran launches 9th wave of Op. True Promise 3, destroys IOF air defense

  • MENA
  • 17 Jun 2025
Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025 (AP)

Wave 12 of Operation True Promise 3 launched, Sejjil deployed: IRGC

  • Politics
  • 18 Jun 2025
Iran launches missile barrage to Tel Aviv, casualties reported

True Promise 3, wave 14: Tel Aviv targeted, casualties reported

  • Politics
  • 19 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Politics

'Israel' risks running out of Arrow 3 interceptors within weeks: WSJ

This is the Voice of America building in Washington D.C., on Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Trump enforces mass VOA layoffs, 600 employees terminated

Iranian protestors carry portrait of Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei and anti-Israeli signs during a protest to condemn Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran, June 20, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Israeli aggression uniting Iranians, including opposition: NYT

AP
Politics

Erdogan at OIC: No to new Sykes-Picot drawn in blood

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS