Screening and book release with Rashid Johnson

Building on his film “Black and Blue” (2021), Rashid Johnson’s new film “Sanguine” (2024, 6 min) expands on a color—blood-red. The color became important to Johnson as he was negotiating his relationship to a higher power. He lay on the beach closing his eyes; the red he saw behind his eyes would become his stand in for “god.”

In the film “Sanguine”, the divine and anima in all things is a strong undertone. Nature is very present: the ocean, flowers, trees, the heat of the sun and that vibrant red color is felt. The color also evokes the notion of family. The figures that inhabit the film are Johnson, his son Julius, and his father Jimmie. Through these generations Johnson allows you to see across time, to feel time and the cycle of life.

The screening will be followed by a book signing with Rashid Johnson, launching the new pocketbook “On the Blue Stage: A Conversation Between Rashid Johnson and Hendrik Folkerts”, which is available for free. The screening and book signing takes places in the context of the exhibition “Seven Room and a Garden: Rashid Johnson and Moderna Museet’s Collection”.