Theaster Gates Jr.

Sara Pooley

Theaster Gates Jr (b. 1973, Chicago, IL) lives and works in Chicago. Gates creates works that engage with space theory and land development, sculpture, and performance. Drawing on his background in urban planning and preservation, Gates redeems spaces left behind. His work contends with the notion of Black space as a formal exercise defined by collective desire, artistic agency, and the tactics of a pragmatist. In 2010, Gates created the Rebuild Foundation, a nonprofit platform for art, cultural development, and neighborhood transformation on Chicago’s South Side.

Gates has exhibited and performed internationally at major museums including, most recently, Tate Liverpool, UK (2020); Haus der Kunst, Munich (2020); Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (2019); and Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France (2019). Recent honors include the Nasher Prize for Sculpture; Urban Land Institute’s Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development; and a World Economic Forum 2020 Crystal Award for his leadership in creating sustainable communities. He is a professor at the University of Chicago, Department of Visual Arts and Harris School of Public Policy, and the Distinguished Visiting Artist and Director of Artist Initiatives at the Lunder Institute for American Art at Colby College.

Theaster Gates Jr. (b. 1973), The Double Wide, 2022. spruce framing, armory flooring, metal roofing exterior, Mississippi reliquary, tar, pickled goods, bronze sculpture, two-channel video (color, sound), 2:02 min. (channel one) and 6:18 min. (channel two). Dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. TGM8. Photography by Mitro Hood. Courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Baltimore Museum of Art.

“Mississippi is the place I carry with me into new constructs—it is a place of dream conjuring and romanticism.”

- Theaster Gates Jr

Theaster Gates Jr. (b. 1973), The Double Wide, 2022. spruce framing, armory flooring, metal roofing exterior, Mississippi reliquary, tar, pickled goods, bronze sculpture, two-channel video (color, sound), 2:02 min. (channel one) and 6:18 min. (channel two). Dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. TGM8. Photography by Mitro Hood. Courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Baltimore Museum of Art.
Theaster Gates Jr. (b. 1973), The Double Wide, 2022. spruce framing, armory flooring, metal roofing exterior, Mississippi reliquary, tar, pickled goods, bronze sculpture, two-channel video (color, sound), 2:02 min. (channel one) and 6:18 min. (channel two). Dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. TGM8. Photography by Mitro Hood. Courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Baltimore Museum of Art.
Theaster Gates Jr. (b. 1973), The Double Wide, 2022. spruce framing, armory flooring, metal roofing exterior, Mississippi reliquary, tar, pickled goods, bronze sculpture, two-channel video (color, sound), 2:02 min. (channel one) and 6:18 min. (channel two). Dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. TGM8. Photography by Mitro Hood. Courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Baltimore Museum of Art.
Theaster Gates Jr. (b. 1973), The Double Wide, 2022. spruce framing, armory flooring, metal roofing exterior, Mississippi reliquary, tar, pickled goods, bronze sculpture, two-channel video (color, sound), 2:02 min. (channel one) and 6:18 min. (channel two). Dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. TGM8. Photography by Mitro Hood. Courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Baltimore Museum of Art.
Theaster Gates Jr. (b. 1973), The Double Wide, 2022. spruce framing, armory flooring, metal roofing exterior, Mississippi reliquary, tar, pickled goods, bronze sculpture, two-channel video (color, sound), 2:02 min. (channel one) and 6:18 min. (channel two). Dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. TGM8. Photography by Mitro Hood. Courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Baltimore Museum of Art.
Theaster Gates Jr. (b. 1973), The Double Wide, 2022. spruce framing, armory flooring, metal roofing exterior, Mississippi reliquary, tar, pickled goods, bronze sculpture, two-channel video (color, sound), 2:02 min. (channel one) and 6:18 min. (channel two). Dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. TGM8. Photography by Mitro Hood. Courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Baltimore Museum of Art.
Theaster Gates Jr. (b. 1973), The Double Wide, 2022. spruce framing, armory flooring, metal roofing exterior, Mississippi reliquary, tar, pickled goods, bronze sculpture, two-channel video (color, sound), 2:02 min. (channel one) and 6:18 min. (channel two). Dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. TGM8. Photography by Mitro Hood. Courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Baltimore Museum of Art.
Theaster Gates Jr. (b. 1973), The Double Wide, 2022. spruce framing, armory flooring, metal roofing exterior, Mississippi reliquary, tar, pickled goods, bronze sculpture, two-channel video (color, sound), 2:02 min. (channel one) and 6:18 min. (channel two). Dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. TGM8. Photography by Mitro Hood. Courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Baltimore Museum of Art.
Theaster Gates Jr. (b. 1973), The Double Wide, 2022. spruce framing, armory flooring, metal roofing exterior, Mississippi reliquary, tar, pickled goods, bronze sculpture, two-channel video (color, sound), 2:02 min. (channel one) and 6:18 min. (channel two). Dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist. TGM8. Photography by Mitro Hood. Courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Baltimore Museum of Art.
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