Rashaad Newsome’s “In the Absence of Evidence, We Create Stories,” at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, is a profound exploration of African American identity and the dynamic nature of cultural artifacts. Drawing inspiration from the “Head of an Oba” and the “Phang Reliquary Head,” Newsome’s work emphasizes intention, communication, and dynastic continuity.
Philosophically, Newsome challenges the static nature of traditional museum displays, proposing that artifacts are living entities whose meanings evolve through engagement. This perspective aligns with postcolonial theory, reclaiming African art and identity from historical silencing. Art historically, the piece merges traditional forms with contemporary technology. Using 3D animation and Artificial Intelligence, Newsome reactivates objects from the Sainsbury collection, blending past and future. The work transforms masks and sculptures into African cyborgs, symbolizing the fusion of tradition and innovation.
Newsome’s piece underscores the importance of viewer participation in shaping cultural narratives, inviting museum-goers to see artifacts not just as relics but as active participants in the ongoing dialogue of identity and expression. This work encourages a rethinking of how cultural heritage is preserved and understood, highlighting its ever-evolving nature.
Additionally, Newsome introduces a series of new collages, evoking cyborgs to discuss how African Americans were initially seen as machines. These figures are adorned with dazzling jewelry, referencing both a play on light and a survival strategy. Jewelry becomes an allegory for armor, a protective barrier against systemic racial violence.Newsome’s collages reclaim and reimagine African masks and sculptures, interrogating movements like Cubism. Faces are composed of fractured African masks realigned on different planes, creating neo-Cubist works. Timepieces in the collages symbolize the manipulation of time, with masks historically used in divination rituals. Bright red lips and gold teeth play with gender presentation and pay homage to early feminist and hip-hop aesthetics.