“The Gift and The Renege”: Theaster Gates at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH)—Unearthing History, Reclaiming Space

In a powerful exploration of materiality, history, and community, Theaster Gates' latest exhibition, "The Gift and The Renege," at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH) offers a profound meditation on the legacy of Freedmen's Town and the broader implications of urban development on Black communities. As part of the multi-year initiative "Rebirth in Action: Telling the Story of Freedom," Gates' installation serves as historical documentation and a call to action. The monumental installation in Houston, home to one of the most vibrant and historic Freedmen’s Towns in the Fourth Ward, invites audiences to engage with the complex and untold narratives embedded in the physical remnants of Black history.

Central to the exhibition is Gates' focus on the historic bricks of Houston's Freedmen's Town. These hand-made bricks, once the literal foundation of a thriving post-Civil War Black community, become potent symbols in Gates' hands. These controversial bricks, formed by hand in the community after the city refused to commission the resident brick maker to pave the streets, are still owned by the Fourth Ward community. This ownership often leads to disagreements with the city's governance when maintenance requires the bricks to be unearthed and replaced. Thus, the bricks serve as painful reminders of past injustices and symbols of community power and ownership. Through large-scale paintings, sculptures, and installations at CAMH, Gates transforms these raw materials into powerful testaments to Black resilience, creativity, and self-determination.

The exhibition's title, "The Gift and The Renege," alludes to the pattern of promises made and broken to marginalized communities throughout American history, particularly in the context of ownership and urban development. Gates' work invites us to consider the weight of these histories and the ongoing struggle for equitable urban spaces.

Gates' practice has long been concerned with the preservation and elevation of overlooked Black histories. In "Retaining Wall," a piece originally shown in 2021 at the “How to Sell Hardware” exhibition and expanded for this show, Gates pays homage to a family-run hardware store on Chicago's South Side. Retaining all the original items the hardware store had planned to discard after the owner retired, Gates housed and displayed them in custom-built steel cages of varying sizes. The result is a powerful reflection on cultural preservation and the transformation of everyday objects into symbols of resilience and history.

Elsewhere in the exhibition, Gates presents four industrial brick presses—three vintage and one newly produced. “How do we make Freedmen’s Town’s brick preservation and return sacred?” Gates asks. One approach is through an installation fashioned as a small shrine-like space designed for individual reflection. Step inside, and you find the entire preserved archive of Ebony magazine, a celebrated Black publication that folded and recently came under new ownership.

Beyond its aesthetic power, "The Gift and The Renege" serves a vital social function. The exhibition is part of a larger initiative aimed at preserving Freedmen's Town and returning the historic bricks to their original location. In this context, Gates' work becomes a catalyst for community engagement and civic action.

By elevating these bricks to the status of fine art, Gates challenges us to reconsider our relationship to urban spaces and the histories they contain. The exhibition asks: How can we make the preservation and return of these bricks not just a practical matter, but a sacred act?

Through his masterful curation of materials and space, Gates' "The Gift and The Renege" invites us to engage with the complex legacies of urban development and to imagine more equitable futures. As viewers move through the exhibition, they are confronted not just with artworks, but with urgent questions about preservation, community, and the power of collective memory.

Gates' exhibition at CAMH, open through October 20, solidifies the enduring power of art to illuminate hidden histories, challenge prevailing narratives, and inspire meaningful change. It reminds us that the act of preservation can be a radical act of love and resistance.

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
5216 Montrose Blvd
Houston, TX 77006
United States