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Collage of five diverse artworks from the Hammer Museum Collections side by side. From left to right: 1) Contemporary painting of two embracing figures with surreal elements. 2) Post-impressionist style painting of trees with vibrant blues and greens. 3) Black and white illustration of a face with intricate patterns. 4) Japanese woodblock print style image of a figure in a checkered robe. 5) Photograph of a couple dancing, the woman in a black dress and the man in white

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Digital Archive Take It or Leave It: Institution, Image, Ideology
Art Adrian Piper, Cornered
Cornered, by Adrian Piper, 1988

Adrian Piper, Artist
Cornered , 1988

Medium
Video installation with birth certificates; single-channel video, color, sound; monitor; table; chairs
Dimensions
Dimensions variable
Credit Line
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Bernice and Kenneth Newberger Fund (1990.4.a-p). Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Throughout her career, Adrian Piper has provocatively analyzed cultural biases and their impact on the individual, holding firmly to her conviction that art can operate as a catalyst for change. Cornered entangles viewers spatially and intellectually in the moral, social, and political complexities of racial determination. Positioned defensively in a corner behind an upturned table, the video features the artist speaking directly to viewers, informing them about the history of miscegenation in America and challenging people to honestly address their black ancestry.