Professor Romi Crawford Joins Artistic Team for documenta 16

Romi Crawford, professor of Visual and Critical Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), has been named to the artistic team for documenta 16. Crawford was selected by Artistic Director Naomi Beckwith alongside a team of world-renowned artists, curators, and designers to develop the exhibition, publications, and programming for the 2027 edition in Kassel, Germany. Held every five years, documenta is one of the most influential exhibitions of contemporary art worldwide aimed at addressing “urgent cultural and social questions” shaping global futures. Crawford’s own research and writing focus on race, ethnicity, and American visual culture, often engaging with the legacy of the Black Arts Movement. Recent projects include Citing Black Geographies (2022) and So Be It! Ase!: Photographic Echoes of Festac’77 (2023). At SAIC, she teaches and mentors students while leading new approaches to arts education through the Black Arts Movement School Modality across the country.