Hannah Black facts for kids

Hannah Black is a British visual artist, writer, and art critic. She creates art using video, written words, and live performances. Her work often explores important ideas about society and how people live.

Early Life and Education

Hannah Black was born in 1981 in Manchester, England. She has lived in different cities, including Berlin and London. Currently, she lives in New York City.

She studied English Literature at King's College, Cambridge. She earned her first degree in 2003. Later, in 2013, she received a Master of Fine Arts degree. This degree was in art writing from Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Hannah Black's Art Career

After finishing her master's degree, Hannah Black moved to New York City. From 2013 to 2014, she was part of the Whitney Independent Study Program. This program helps artists develop their skills.

Her art often looks at big ideas like how money and power work in the world. She also explores fairness for everyone and how people control public spaces. A gallery in London called Arcadia Missa represents her art.

While in New York, Black was an editor for a magazine called The New Inquiry. In 2016, she published her first book of writings. It was titled Dark Pool Party. This book contains seven texts that mix fiction, real-life stories, and poetry.

Art and Public Discussions

In March 2017, Hannah Black wrote an open letter. She posted it on her Facebook page. The letter was for the people who organized the Whitney Biennial art show. She wrote about a painting called Open Casket by artist Dana Schutz.

Black's letter asked for the painting to be removed from the show. She also suggested it should be destroyed. This letter started a big discussion in the art world. People debated about art, fairness, and freedom of speech. The discussion became well-known around the world.

The Tear Gas Biennial Protest

In 2019, Hannah Black, along with Ciarán Finlayson and Tobi Haslett, wrote an important statement. It was published in Artforum magazine. They called it The Tear Gas Biennial. This statement criticized Warren Kanders. He was a leader on the board of the Whitney Museum.

Kanders had given a lot of money to the museum. However, his money came from a company called Safariland LLC. This company makes equipment used by police and military. This includes items like riot gear and tear gas.

Tear gas has been banned in international military conflicts since 1925. However, it is still used by police and military against civilians. Artists felt it was wrong for the museum to take money from a company that makes such items.

Many artists in the Biennial show supported Black's statement. They asked for their artwork to be removed from the exhibition. This put a lot of pressure on the museum. Because of this, Warren Kanders stepped down from his position. The essay played a key role in his decision. It also helped the museum decide to stop taking money from sources connected to violence.

Exhibitions and Performances

Hannah Black's art has been shown in many places around the world. She has had both solo shows and group shows.

Some of the places her art has been exhibited include:

• Centre D’Art Contemporain in Geneva
• Performance Space New York
• Chisenhale Gallery in London
• mumok in Vienna
• Celaya Brothers Gallery in Mexico City
• Yarat Contemporary Art Centre in Azerbaijan

She has also given performances and shown her videos at museums. These include MoMA PS1 and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.