The Heart of the Matter

The Heart of the Matter is a large-scale retrospective of Carrie Mae Weems, whose multidisciplinary practice spans photography, video, and installation. Across more than 100 works, the exhibition traces Weems’s sustained engagement with themes of race, gender, power, and historical memory. Often positioning herself within her images as subject, narrator, or witness, Weems uses her own presence to interrogate systems of representation and to guide viewers through complex narratives of identity and experience. The exhibition includes landmark series such as Kitchen Table Series (1990), which stages intimate domestic scenes to examine relationships, gender roles, and Black womanhood, as well as Museums (2006), in which Weems reflects on institutional spaces and the exclusion of Black histories. Together, these works reveal how personal narratives can illuminate broader social and political realities. A key highlight of the exhibition is Preach (2024), a new body of work created specifically for this presentation. In this series, Weems turns her attention to the role of faith and spirituality, exploring how religious spaces and visual culture function as sites of resistance, resilience, and communal identity. Through images of churches and spiritual architecture, the work underscores the importance of belief systems in both personal and collective life. Presented at FOMU – Fotomuseum Antwerpen, The Heart of the Matter situates Weems’s work within an international context, emphasizing her influence across decades of contemporary art. The exhibition is curated by Sarah Hermanson Meister and developed in collaboration with Gallerie d’Italia and Aperture Foundation. The exhibition runs through August 23, 2026.