For Radical Reading Room, The Studio Museum in Harlem invited over 40 artists, writers, publishers, and community organizations to share works—their own or those they admire—that engage with the history of Black printed matter and the discourse surrounding its circulation. The resulting contributions, presented for visitors to explore at its Studio Museum 127 location, address how art is produced and contextualized, the performance of language, and the creation of Black narratives. Housed in a site-specific structure, the reading room celebrates creators of African descent who contribute to contemporary visual culture and challenge structures of colonized knowledge production.

As Radical Reading Room pays tribute to Harlem as a site for Black creative congregation, we invite visitors to browse the available materials and contribute their own.

Studio Museum 127, our temporary programming space, is located at 429 West 127th Street between Amsterdam and Convent Avenues. Opening hours are Thursday through Sunday, 12 to 6 pm.

Radical Reading Room is organized by Legacy Russell, Associate Curator, Exhibitions, and designed by Rachael Elliott. Special thanks to Curatorial Fellows Alexandra Adams and Hanna Girma, and Eric Booker, Exhibition Coordinator.

- Source: Studio Museum Harlem

2013

A Change of Scenery
Lenard Smith

Publisher: Pau Wau Publications

Edition of 50

Radical Reading Room (Installation View) Photography: Adam Reich