Jeffrey Gibson: POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT, 2024. Courtesy of Jeffrey Gibson Studio. Photo: Thomas Roeschlein.
Jeffrey Gibson’s POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT is a newly commissioned immersive installation filling MASS MoCA’s signature Building 5 gallery that follows Gibson’s highly celebrated United States representation at the 60th edition of La Biennale di Venezia. Gibson is known for creating installations, performances, paintings, and sculpture that elevate and provide visibility to queer and Indigenous communities, whose cultural narratives have been historically marginalized. Throughout the run of the exhibition, the project will host a series of performances by Indigenous creatives from across North America.
Gibson views the exhibition as an invitation to other Indigenous creatives to contribute to a space where difference is not only considered, it is celebrated. The installation features seven aspirational and newly constructed oversized garments, which are adorned with beads and found materials, that have been organized in kaleidoscopic patterns and are suspended from the ceiling on tipi poles or worn during performances. These works are informed by various faith-based regalia and club culture—paying homage to the past while signaling hope for the future.
POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT is on view at MASS MoCA through May 2026. To learn more about the installation and accompanying programs, click here.