Collection Ensemble

Collection Ensemble presents the first major reinstallation of UMMA's iconic entry space in over a decade. It exchanges Alumni Memorial Hall's previous focus on European and American painting for a broad mix of American, European, African, and Asian art from across media, sampling the Museum's remarkable, disparate holdings.

The installation is organized into thematic and formal vignettes that respond to the concepts and ideas resonating from an extraordinary large-scale photograph of a vacant cathedral by contemporary German artist Candida Höfer. The exhibition displays more than 40 works by famous and not so famous artists, many of them artists of color and women –including Charles Alston, Khaled al-Saa'i, Norio Azuma, Christo, Theaster Gates, Jenny Holzer, Roni Horn, Dinh Q Lê, and Kara Walker. 

The reinstallation in the iconic and beloved museum’s space is emblematic of the re-thinking of the role of UMMA on campus. The goal is to tell a more expansive and mutable history of art, one that shows that art has powerful connections across media, politics, and culture. As a campus museum, UMMA is a vital hub for new ideas and exchanges. This exhibition recasts the role of UMMA’s collection as an active, creative, surprising source of material and ideas, open for debate and interpretation.