AT THE PRECIPICE: RESPONSES TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS DEBUTS JULY 14 FEATURES WORK BY NOTED MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST MOREL DOUCET

The Design Museum of Chicago is excited to announce its upcoming exhibition, At the Precipice: Responses to the Climate Crisis. Opening July 14 and on view through October 30, 2023, the exhibition considers how color, tactility, data, and material can offer accessible and productive entry points to this urgent crisis. Work by noted multi-media artist Morel Doucet will be included in the exhibition. Doucet’s work was part of The Afro-Futurist Manifesto: Blackness Reimagined, mounted for the European Cultural Centre (ECC), by curator Myrtis Bedolla founding director of Galerie Myrtis during 2022’s Venice Biennale.

Pigment International spoke with founder and Executive Director Tanner Woodford on the draw of Doucet’s work and the importance of this exhibition.

When did you first encounter the work of Morel Doucet?

We first came across Morel’s work in August of 2020, when he was working on a series that considered climate gentrification and the impacts of rising waters on Miami’s communities of color. He had created a piece with several shelves of small hybrid figures made of porcelain with heads of coral, safety pins, and flowers. The way he translates such urgent, complex ideas into sculptures that are immediately engaging stood out to us and is one of the reasons we wanted to include his works in At the Precipice.

Why was his work a fit for the Design Museum?

Formally, Morel’s artwork is stunning. His surreal, hand-built, slip-cast porcelain sculptures are rendered flawlessly, and his ability to communicate complex narratives through excellent craft is unparalleled. Conceptually, he explores the devastating impact that humans have made on the environment by showcasing those who are most likely to suffer in the process. The Design Museum of Chicago exists to connect diverse cultures and perspectives within the broader design ecosystem that affects our daily lives. Morel’s work is perfectly situated within this mission.

What do you want folks to take away from this exhibit?

The magnitude and vastness of the climate crisis can be difficult to connect with on an individual level, but artists and designers have an incredible propensity to connect with complex ideas in deeply human ways. The artists highlighted in At the Precipice — including Morel — reflect on our current state, but also highlight its potential to change. With that, the exhibition finds hope. I want folks to leave the exhibit inspired and reflective, with some semblance of hope in their hearts.

Read more about the exhibit and all the Black art news in this week’s newsletter.