Arti Fiant is pleased to share that our Co-Founder has contributed an article to Harper’s Bazaar Japan on Theaster Gates’ latest exhibition, 1965: Malcolm in Winter: A Translation Exercise, currently on view at White Cube Bermondsey from 7 February to 6 April 2025.

Theaster Gates *A libation in Uncertain Times*, 2024 (Photo: arti fiant)

This landmark exhibition spans the entire Bermondsey gallery and showcases Gates’s new archival responses, large-scale installations, and film works. Marking the centenary of Malcolm X’s birth and the 60th anniversary of his assassination, Gates pays tribute to Japanese journalist Ei Nagata and Haruhi Ishitani, who dedicated their lives to translating and preserving Malcolm X’s legacy.

The exhibition reflects Gates’s ongoing exploration of Blackness in Japan, a theme rooted in his pottery studies in Tokoname during the late 1990s. Recently acquiring the Nagata and Ishitani’s archive, Gates uses Japanese aesthetics to examine the global influence of Black Power movements, creating a compelling dialogue between cultural histories.

Our Co-Founder’s article, The Truth of ‘Blackness’ in Japan Pursued by Theaster Gates, provides an in-depth look at the exhibition, including interviews with Gates and the White Cube team. It highlights the historical connections between Japanese intellectuals and Black radicalism, while also exploring how Japanese design and philosophy have shaped Gates’s artistic practice. This exhibition underscores Gates’ commitment to the archive as a medium for preserving and reinterpreting Blackness.

Read the full article in Harper’s Bazaar Japan.