Art exhibition at Brooklyn Public Library asks, ‘What Kind of House Does a Man Who Has Lived in a 6 x 9-Foot Cell for Over 30 Years Dream Of?’
In 2003, visual artist Jackie Sumell asked Herman Wallace, a Black Panther activist and member of the Angola Three who had been kept in solitary confinement for more than 30 years, via letter: “What kind of house does a man who has lived in a 6×9-foot cell for over 30 years dream of?”
Their exchange resulted in a collaboration that transformed both of their lives and produced an internationally renowned exhibition, book and documentary film.
The exhibition, titled “#76759: Featuring the House That Herman Built,” will open at the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) on April 15 and will remain on view through June 5. In conjunction with the opening, a screening of the film “Herman’s House” will take place April 16 at 7 p.m. at BPL’s Central Library (10 Grand Army Plaza), the same location where the exhibition is housed.