Inside the 2024 Whitney Biennial Session 2

This dynamic three-part course gives participants an in-depth view of works in the 2024 edition of the Whitney Biennial, interpreting them in the context of our social, political, and cultural landscape. The sessions explore themes in the exhibition, from the fluidity of form, perception, and experience to historical and current land stewardship to concepts of selfhood. Each week offers a different lens through which to consider specific artworks and artists featured in the Biennial, considering them within current conversations in the art world and the history of American art. Session 2 Embodiment This session delves into intricate frameworks of identity, power, and agency explored through a variety of media by femme-identified artists in the exhibition. Through critical engagement with the works of diverse artists, we analyze the ways art becomes a conduit for challenging dominant narratives and reclaiming agency. From Suzanne Jackson’s ethereal paintings to Lotus L. Kang and Mary Lovelace O’Neal’s expressionist paintings, we examine how materiality itself becomes a site of resistance and negotiation. This session is led by Jacqueline Cofield, Joan Tisch Teaching Fellow.