Conversations with Contemporary Artists: Julie Mehretu

Join MacArthur Foundation Award–winning artist Julie Mehretu as she discusses her career and work, including the High Museum of Art’s recent acquisition, Mogamma (A Painting in Four Parts): Part II (2012). Mehretu, whose work is known for its dynamic formal complexity and multi-layered imagery, is interested in how the architecture of the public square, a site of social and political change, connects to the community. 

Alluding to the events of the Arab Spring, her Mogamma series – titled in reference to the government building just south of Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt – features detailed renderings of structures in Tripoli, Libya; Cairo; and other Middle Eastern cities where uprisings have occurred recently. Produced for the 2012 exhibition Documenta XIII in Germany, this series – including the High’s recent acquisition – exhibits Mehretu’s deft use of gestural marks, sweeping lines, and silkscreened patterns, suggesting the often urgent and always complex patterns of migrant peoples. 

The High is honored to bring Mehretu to Atlanta for this special event. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from the artist and learn about her works.