Édouard Glissant’s Concept of the Museum as an Archipelago

In the fall of 2018, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Gabriela Rangel, and Asad Raza curated the exhibition *Lydia Cabrera and Édouard Glissant: Trembling Thinking* for the Americas Society. This exhibition focused on artists who created works inspired by Martinician writer and philosopher Édouard Glissant and Cuban writer and activist Lydia Cabrera’s contemplations on identity. The exhibition offered an opportunity to explore Glissant’s inspirational thinking and his connections with artists from Europe, Africa, and the Americas, such as Roberto Matta, Wifredo Lam, Etel Adnan, Irving Petlin, Antonio Seguí, Öyvind Fahlström, and Jack Whitten.

The exhibition highlighted Glissant’s relationships with these artists and emphasized the confluence of cultures and identities, which is central to Glissant’s work. It also showcased Glissant’s idea of “Creolisation,” which refers to a non-hierarchical and local environment where individuals construct their own identities, moving away from essentialism and Pan-African narratives.

Later, the exhibition *The Earth, the Fire, the Water, and the Winds: For a Museum of Errantry with Édouard Glissant* at the Center for Art, Research and Alliances (CARA) introduced audiences to works from Glissant’s personal collection. According to the exhibition’s press release, Glissant, who passed away in 2011, amassed these works not for personal ownership but to create a living archive that focused on relationality and difference. Glissant envisioned a “museum-as-archipelago,” where artworks are part of an interconnected yet distinct group, reflecting his wish to eschew hierarchical and colonial narratives.

This collection, displayed for the first time in the United States, offered insights into Glissant’s enduring friendships and collaborations with artists from diverse backgrounds. For instance, Antonio Seguí’s pastel works from the *Titanic* series were revealed, depicting the ship not as a symbol of tragedy but as a critique of Western rationalism and capitalism’s overconfidence.

The exhibition also featured small drawings by Lam, hinting at Glissant’s interactions with Lam and their shared interests. Other artists in the collection included Fahlström, Brauner, Edwards, and Glissant’s wife, Sylvie Sema Glissant, who all contributed to this unique collection. This assembly of works challenged colonial narratives and offered a platform for political engagement and cultural examination.

*The Earth, the Fire, the Water, and the Winds: For a Museum of Errantry with Édouard Glissant* continues at CARA in New York City, providing viewers with a rare glimpse into Glissant’s vision and the impact of his ideas on a diverse array of artists. The exhibition was co-conceived with Mémorial ACTe, the Édouard Glissant Art Fund, and the Institut du Tout-Monde and was curated collaboratively to showcase this dynamic collection.