Tavares Strachan: Starless Midnight at Marian Goodman Gallery, New York
7 March – 19 April 2025 | 385 Broadway, New York, NY 10013
The celebrated Marian Goodman Gallery in New York presents Starless Midnight, a striking solo exhibition by Bahamian-born conceptual artist Tavares Strachan. Running from 7 March to 19 April 2025, this captivating show offers a bold exploration of history, identity, and knowledge through a multidisciplinary display of sculpture, painting, lighting, sound, and installation art.
Known for championing contemporary artists who challenge conventions, Marian Goodman Gallery provides the perfect setting for Strachan’s immersive vision. Situated in the heart of New York’s art district, the gallery has long been a cultural hub for thoughtful and ambitious exhibitions, and Starless Midnight is no exception.
A Fusion of Art, Science, and Storytelling
Tavares Strachan’s practice moves across the boundaries of art, science, and politics with a distinctive and intellectually rich perspective. Drawing on subjects as varied as astronomy, deep-sea exploration, and climate science, Strachan uses these themes to explore ideas of displacement, visibility, and aspiration. His work often shines a light on the forgotten or obscured contributions of historically marginalised individuals, turning the gallery into a stage for untold stories.
Educated at the Rhode Island School of Design and Yale University, Strachan works between New York City and Nassau, Bahamas. In addition to his studio practice, he founded the Bahamas Aerospace and Sea Exploration Centre (B.A.S.E.C.), a multidisciplinary platform blending art and science, as well as OKU, a creative and educational space designed to uplift local communities through the arts.
Starless Midnight: A Poetic, Multi-Sensory Exhibition
Starless Midnight is structured across seven distinct and immersive environments, bringing together existing and newly commissioned works that range from neon sculpture to sound art, painting, robotics, and even hair. Strachan constructs a poetic narrative through these diverse media, inviting visitors to move through a series of visual and emotional landscapes.
On the ground floor, a commanding ceramic sculpture of Exuma, the legendary musician and visual artist, stands within a field of rice grass arranged in the pattern of the Ghanaian Adinkra symbol Okodee Mmowere, which represents bravery. This installation not only pays tribute to Exuma’s legacy but also bridges themes of nature, symbolism, and ancestry. Its form, language, and materiality make it a compelling highlight of the exhibition.
Nearby, a glowing neon installation pulses with sound and light—an emblematic feature of Strachan’s style. These text-based light sculptures, often flashing with rhythmic or dissonant soundtracks, are both visually arresting and emotionally resonant. Their simplicity masks layers of research and meaning, drawing viewers into deeper contemplation of cultural memory and historical presence.
On the upper level, a series of large-scale paintings composed of intricate, hand-painted word search grids further demonstrate Strachan’s nuanced approach to storytelling. These abstracted text works explore themes of visibility, communication, and fragmentation. They echo early digital aesthetics and evoke the ephemeral nature of information in the digital age—symbolic, perhaps, of how history is recorded, lost, and found again.
A Call to Rediscover and Reconnect
At the core of Starless Midnight is Strachan’s ongoing research project, The Encyclopedia of Invisibility—a personal archive that collects forgotten histories and sidelined narratives. This exhibition acts as an extension of that work, prompting viewers to question what is seen and what is hidden in the canon of art, science, and exploration.
Whether through delicate marble carvings, ambient soundscapes, or the flickering language of neon, each work in the exhibition becomes a portal—an invitation to engage more consciously with our collective past and present.
Why You Should Visit
For art enthusiasts, collectors, and anyone passionate about cultural innovation, Starless Midnight is a must-see exhibition in New York’s spring calendar. Strachan’s multidisciplinary works offer not only stunning visual experiences but also profound insights into human resilience, forgotten legacies, and the interconnectedness of art and science.
Marian Goodman Gallery’s thoughtful curation elevates this powerful body of work, making it a standout destination for those seeking contemporary art that informs, inspires, and transforms.
Plan Your Visit
📍 Marian Goodman Gallery, 385 Broadway, New York, NY 10013
🗓 7 March – 19 April 2025
🌐 Visit the gallery’s official website for opening times and visitor information.
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