Cadence - Otobong Nkanga

Otobong Nkanga has changed the way we understand the Earth and our place in it. “Humans are only a small, minute part of the ecosystem,” the artist has said. “My works connect us to our shared histories, not just through land and geography, but through emotions shaped by events and encounters. These are the cadences of life.” Otobong Nkanga: Cadence presents a new commission by the artist: an all-encompassing environment of tapestry, sculpture, sound, and text that explores the turbulent rhythms of nature and society. Created specifically for MoMA’s Marron Family Atrium, the installation centers on a monumental, multi-paneled tapestry that suggests sprawling ecosystems and galaxies.Suspended along the highest wall of the Atrium, the large-scale tapestry features a kaleidoscopic range of custom metallic, natural, and synthetic fibers created by the artist using innovative digital weaving techniques at the TextielLab in Tilburg, the Netherlands. Sculptures composed of dyed ropes, interwoven with hand-blown glass and ceramic forms, hang floor-to-ceiling alongside ceramic tablets imprinted with the artist’s poems. These diverse elements are brought together within an immersive sound wo... more