Whitney Biennial 2017

Floor 5

Born 1981 in Los Angeles, CA
Lives in Los Angeles, CA

For the 2017 Whitney Biennial, Kamasi Washington created Harmony of Difference, an original six-movement suite that explores the philosophical possibilities of the musical technique known as counterpoint, which Washington defines as “the art of balancing similarity and difference to create harmony between separate melodies.”

Washington’s suite includes visual elements wedded to the musical works and draws voraciously from the history of jazz. Each of the first five movements is its own unique composition. The sixth movement, accompanied by a projected film, fuses all five compositions into one simultaneous performance. Beyond the impulse to expand the artistic possibilities within the concept of counterpoint, Washington wanted to create something that opened people’s minds to the gift of diversity. In his own words, “My hope is that witnessing the beautiful harmony created by merging different musical melodies will help people realize the beauty in our own differences.”