Arthur Jafa, King of Pop
His eclectic references and intuitive grasp of memes and virality set him apart as an artist taking assemblage and collage to new heights.
The New Museum's New York exhibition "I Am Tony" by artist Arthur Jafa is a striking showcase of his signature deadpan humor that plays on morbid imagery, revealing the gravity of popular culture. Spanning two levels of the Lower Manhattan gallery, this comprehensive survey is Jafa's most ambitious body of work to date, exploring themes he has consistently delved into throughout his career.
Utilizing a diverse range of media, including video art, the exhibition delves into subjects such as the history of Black music, religion and secularism, American cinema, political violence, popular culture, and the internet.
One floor of the exhibition is dedicated to the wall installation "Allegiance" (2026), a monumental black-and-white photograph featuring a crowd of 19th-century Black schoolchildren performing a salutation reminiscent of the Nazi salute. The stark image is juxtaposed against a boyish flag-bearer in the left quadrant, emphasizing the contrast between the innocent faces of the children and the violent history associated with the salutation.
The effect is one of melancholy, as the wall text reveals that while the gesture was once a patriotic way to honor the flag, it later took on a sinister connotation in 20th-century Europe. This powerful piece forces viewers to contemplate the shocking and unintended associations that arise from seemingly innocuous cultural objects.
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