The Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia (ICA Philadelphia) presents The Condition of Being Near, a group exhibition exploring the cross-cultural networks emerging from the historical legacies of socio-political proximity and shared economic circumstances among Black, African, and Chinese diasporic alliances. Featuring video, installation, photography, and prints, as well as archival materials, The Condition of Being Near highlights the work of ten artists—Sybil Atteck, Julian Junyuan Feng, Tao Leigh Goffe, Wifredo Lam, Pok Chi Lau, Candice Lin, Christian Nyampeta, Yinka Shonibare, Hong-Kai Wang, and Ming Wong—to shed light on the complex material and historical processes that forged these alliances, and invite audiences to consider how points of cohesion can serve as the basis of a shared future.

On view from September 26, 2026, through February 21, 2027, The Condition of Being Near advances the ICA’s dedication to being a platform for in-depth curatorial scholarship, international collaboration, and artists with cutting-edge ideas and experimental practices. The exhibition is co-curated by Denise Ryner, Andrea B. Laporte Curator at ICA Philadelphia, and Zairong Xiang, Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature and Director of Art at Duke Kunshan University.

“At ICA, we know exhibitions have the power to reveal obscured or fragmented histories, and to show how they can shape the present,” said Johanna Burton, Daniel W. Dietrich, II Director of ICA Philadelphia.

To read the full press release, click here.