Now On View Through February 17

Now on view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 899

Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now explores how Black artists and cultural figures have interacted with ancient Egypt through various forms of art, literature, music, scholarship, religion, politics, and performance. The exhibition delves into nearly 150 years of artistic and cultural expression, spanning from the 19th century to the present day, showcasing close to 200 works across different mediums.

Thematic sections within the exhibition, featuring pieces from The Met’s collection and loans from public and private collections, highlight how Black artists have used ancient Egyptian imagery to shape a collective identity, the role of Black scholars in studying ancient Egypt, and the influence of modern and contemporary Egyptian artists on ancient Egyptian themes.

A unique feature of the exhibition is a dedicated performance gallery, the “Performance Pyramid,” which will showcase a historical overview of Black performance art with ancient Egyptian motifs and host live performances on select days throughout the exhibition’s duration. This innovative approach is a collaboration with MetLiveArts.

Generous support for the exhibition is provided by the Gail and Parker Gilbert Fund, the Jane and Robert Carroll Fund, the Ford Foundation, and the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.

Exhibition Details

Online: View Interactive Exhibition Online | Download a large-print version of the exhibition text in Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now

Attend Exhibition In-Person at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 899 | Free with Museum admission

Credit: Image captured in various mediums per Artwork: “Message from Malcolm” (Maren Hassinger) archived on The New Subway: https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/artwork_show?24