Meet Me at the Chazen

Meet Me at the Chazen is a podcast from the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The current series is about re:mancipation, an exhibition that re-examines, reframes, and responds to a sculpture called Emancipation Group. Created by Thomas Ball in 1873, the sculpture depicts Abraham Lincoln in a dominant pose, arm outstretched and towering over a crouching freedman. A study for bronze monuments in Washington, DC, and until recently in Boston, it has been shown at the Chazen without comment or context since 1976. In 2020, artist Sanford Biggers began a collaboration with members of MASK Consortium and the Chazen to research, analyze, and recontextualize Emancipation Group. The exhibition is just one part of a wide-ranging project that includes symposia, K-12 curriculum, a documentary film, and eventually a book. The exhibition uses conventional art methods and media along with, 3D digital technology, video, music, performance, and augmented reality to create an immersive experience. The exhibition features works from the Chazen collection, loans, and a new work by Biggers to be unveiled in May.