The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University will present “Fred Wilson: Reflections,” a major exhibition highlighting more than two decades of work by the renowned New York artist. Curated by Gannit Ankori, director and chief curator of the museum, the show will run from Aug. 20, 2025, through Jan. 4, 2026, in the Lois Foster Wing.

This is Wilson’s first major museum survey in more than 10 years and features the debut of “Black Now!,” an immersive new installation. Wilson, best known for his conceptual interventions in museums and archives, explores how institutions shape understandings of history and identity. His work in sculpture, installation, painting and glass challenges visitors to consider which stories are highlighted or omitted and how cultural narratives are constructed.

The exhibition is divided into three sections:

The first surveys Wilson’s black-and-white Murano glass chandeliers, mirrors and drops, a practice refined for the 2003 Venice Biennale. These pieces use traditional craft to evoke the repressed histories of the African diaspora. Nearby, a mural-like installation of black-and-white flag paintings in the Lois Foster Stairwell reflects on colonial legacies and fractured identities.
The second section focuses on flag paintings, stripped of color but rich in commentary on diasporic experience and historical trauma.
The third debuts “Black Now!,” a conceptual installation of more than 2,500 found objects, from books and T-shirts to perfume bottles and DVDs. Each item is linked to the color black or themes of Blackness, prompting visitors to rethink the cultural messages embedded in everyday objects.

“My work asks people to look closely at what they think they know and reconsider the stories we tell about our history, culture and ourselves,” Wilson said.