Kiwanga built this commission around the flying geese pattern, a triangle motif that quilts hung on clotheslines were said to carry as a coded instruction to head north. It fills the second-floor project gallery of the Studio Museum's new building and runs for over a year, so it works as the calm counterweight to the crowds upstairs. If you are coming for Fade's last weekend, do not skip the floor below it.
What to expect
A room-scale installation reading as pattern and colour before it reads as history, in a purpose-built project gallery. It sits two floors below Fade and one floor from the collection show, so the building rewards doing all of it. Twenty minutes here, two hours for the whole museum.
Good to know
- Take the 2 or 3 to 125th Street, or the A, B, C or D to 125th Street
- The project gallery is on the second floor; it is easy to walk past on the way up
- Included in the same admission as everything else in the building
- Elevators reach every floor of the new building
- Rewards a slow ten minutes rather than a quick photograph
- The museum is not open every day of the week, so check before travelling
Get Saturday planned every Thursday
One email a week — the best of the NYC weekend board. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Common questions
What is the flying geese pattern?
A triangle quilt motif that, according to long-held accounts, signalled the route north along the Underground Railroad.
Is it a new work?
Yes. BLEED is a site-specific commission made for the Studio Museum's second-floor project gallery.
How long is it on view?
Through April 1, 2027.
More this weekend
