It is sometimes easy to think that contemporary art is an academic phenomenon, understood and accessible by very few people. However, there are contemporary artists, whose art encompass many disciplines and uses all the formal possibilities of the exhibition (as understood in an academic context): installations, video art, photography and printing, but also manage to maintain a political or anthropological commitment which allows them to have a great power over a wide range of viewers.

The American artist Carrie Mae Weems falls into this category. Although she is known primarily as a photographer, during her career she has also used different materials and means of expression-media installation, performance and video. Her personal experiences, history, and folk and popular culture form the basis of her work, giving it a great emotional impact.

The Andalusian Centre of Contemporary Art will host an exhibition of her work from May 20 until September 19, 2010, which brings together examples of twenty of her series, over one hundred photographs of large and small format digital prints on fabric and wallpaper, audiovisual installations and videos, to give visitors a chance to familiarize themselves with her work.

Weems started taking pictures when she was active in the labour movement and decided to devote herself to the artistic side of photography after seeing the book “The Black Photography Annual.” That she has ceased to be active in the labour movement does not mean that she has left politics behind- in fact, a critical re-examination of racism, gender, relationships identity, and especially women’s identity, informs all of her artistic interventions.

Many photos feature lines of ironic or sarcastic text, to animate the viewer to digest the conflicts presented in her work both consciously and visually. The exhibit will be the first for the artist in Spain, do not miss it! Rent apartments in Seville, to reflect on what you’ve seen.