Understanding the Challenges of Propaganda
**Reframing Blackness: The Evolution of Data Consciousness in Contemporary Art**
In the heart of Chelsea, Manhattan lies Print Center New York, hosting a thought-provoking exhibition titled “Data Consciousness: Reframing Blackness in Contemporary Print.” This exhibition draws inspiration from W. E. B. Du Bois’s revolutionary “data portraits” created for the 1900 Paris Exposition. These visualizations captured the post-emancipation reality for Black Americans through groundbreaking infographics. The current exhibition, curated by Tiffany E. Barber, reimagines these portraits not merely as sociological artifacts but as profound art pieces.
Artists William Villalongo and Shraddha Ramani spearhead this initiative, collaborating with Black scholars and activists to update and expand upon Du Bois’s legacy, incorporating contemporary data through varied printmaking techniques. This artistic endeavor complements their work with pieces from artists like Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Silas Munro, and others, using diverse media such as sculpture, video, and textiles.
Du Bois once asserted that “all Art is propaganda,” yet the exhibition challenges this notion, inviting visitors to delve into complex readings of data beyond mere persuasion. Rasheed’s installation, “Plot It/Point Moving” (2025), exemplifies this, weaving incomplete narratives that provoke contemplation.
Villalongo and Ramani’s infographics, like “Visualizando La Afrodignidad Skin Color & Race in Puerto Rico,” demand engagement, presenting data on colorism’s impact in Puerto Rico. Others offer clarity, such as charts depicting the distribution of Black populations across the U.S. or educational disparities faced by Black children.
True to its title, “Data Consciousness” aspires to enhance understanding of Black experiences without simplifying them into digestible narratives. By challenging viewers’ perceptions, the exhibition embodies art’s potential to reflect the nuanced intricacies of human existence.
This innovative exhibition remains open at Print Center New York, inviting exploration into a dynamic interplay of history, data, and art until December 13.