Rashid Johnson anchors Fort Worth with a major survey
Published on 08/28/2026 at 12:54 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Rashid Johnson is at the center of a major museum survey in Fort Worth. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth says A Poem for Deep Thinkers remains on view through September 27, 2026, alongside performance programming tied to the installation.
The Fort Worth exhibition
The museum describes A Poem for Deep Thinkers as Johnson's largest exhibition to date and his first major museum survey in more than a decade the Modern's exhibition page. It brings together nearly 90 works, including black-soap paintings, spray-painted text pieces, monumental sculptures, film, and video.
The same museum page places Johnson's practice across painting, sculpture, film, and installation, with the show organized by Naomi Beckwith and Andrea Karnes. A separate calendar entry lists the exhibition through September 27, 2026, and adds that the museum remains open Fridays until 8 PM the Modern calendar.
Performance as part of the show
The exhibition also extends into scheduled performances around Antoine's Organ, 2016/2026. The Modern's performance page lists live activations on August 28, 2026 at 5:30 PM and August 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM, with additional dates later in the season.
The museum says the piano sits at the heart of the installation and is played at scheduled times throughout the exhibition. That format fits Johnson's long use of sound, object, and activation as linked parts of one sculptural language.
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How Johnson works
Johnson works across painting, sculpture, video, and installation. The Modern's text also identifies recurring material concerns, from black soap and wax to branded wood, mirror tile, and spray enamel.
Those materials matter because they let the work move between image, object, and environment. Johnson's output often folds art history, Black cultural memory, and personal symbolism into the same surface.
Where the work stands now
Rashid Johnson's current museum focus is Fort Worth, where A Poem for Deep Thinkers is on view through September 27, 2026.
Key facts on Rashid Johnson
- Artist: Rashid Johnson
- Medium / Genre: Painting, sculpture, film, installation
- Born: 1977, Chicago, USA
- Place(s) of practice: New York
- Active since: 2000s
- Key work groups: Anxious Men, Broken Men, Cosmic Slop, The New Negro Escapist Social and Athletic Club
- Current/last exhibition: A Poem for Deep Thinkers, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, March 8, 2026 - September 27, 2026
- Major collections: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Next date: August 28, 2026, 5:30 PM, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Frequently asked questions about Rashid Johnson
Where can visitors see Rashid Johnson in Fort Worth right now?
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth lists A Poem for Deep Thinkers on view through September 27, 2026. The exhibition page also notes nearly 90 works and multiple activation formats.
What happens at Antoine's Organ, 2016/2026?
The Modern says musicians play the piano at scheduled times throughout the exhibition. The next listed performance date on the museum page is August 28, 2026 at 5:30 PM.
Which collections hold major Rashid Johnson works?
The museum lists the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art among his public holdings.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
