Cécile Fromont

Cécile Fromont specializes in the visual, material, and religious cultures of Africa, Latin America, and Europe between 1500 and 1800. In this free talk, she offers powerful perspectives on how research shapes contemporary art and how exhibitions can tell complex, cross-cultural stories. You’ll be invited to consider how global histories can be reframed and made newly meaningful. Fromont will reflect on her collaborations with artists in which the boundaries between scholar and artist blur. These include projects with Sammy Baloji and Gloria Cabral on view this fall as part of Baloji’s exhibition. Fromont’s research on early modern Atlantic World connections and the movement of people, objects, and beliefs—often under conditions of violence—contributes directly to the creative process. The resulting artworks highlight the ways African expressive and spiritual cultures shaped artistic life across continents and into the present.A public reception with light hors d’oeuvres follows the lecture.IMAGE CAPTIONFrom left to right: Cécile Fromont, photo: Stephanie Mitchell, Harvard University. Sammy Baloji and Cécile Fromont, Rethreaded Indies, 2025. Wool, cotton, and linen, 11 ft. 3 1/16 in. x 15 ft. 1 1/2 in. Installation view of Shapeshifters: On Wounds, Wonders and Transformation at Framer Framed, Amsterdam, 2025. Designed by Silvana de Bari. Produced by Textiellab, Tilburg. Supported by the Mondrian Prize. Image courtesy of the artist and Galerie Imane Farès, Paris. Photo © Ben Yau.