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DURHAM, NC – The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University presents Sherman Fleming: Unsettled, the first solo exhibition dedicated to the trailblazing performance and multimedia artist Sherman Fleming, who has long operated on the periphery of the mainstream art world despite his deep influence on generations of performance artists and cultural thinkers. On view from September 13, 2025, through January 18, 2026, the show spans more than four decades of Fleming’s radical practice and marks a long-overdue institutional recognition of an artist whose work has critically shaped conversations around race, trauma, and the Black body in performance art.
Based in Philadelphia, Sherman Fleming has forged a powerful artistic language through his use of endurance, vulnerability, and symbolism. From the late 1970s to the present, his performances have explored the psychic toll of systemic racism and historical violence, often placing his own body in physically and emotionally charged scenarios. Whether wearing a noose in public space, dragging weighted objects over long distances, or covering himself in culturally coded materials, Fleming’s work challenges audiences to confront the discomfort of America’s unresolved histories. His practice extends beyond performance into painting, drawing, collage, and video, all of which are represented in Unsettled, drawing from the Nasher’s own collection and from works on loan directly from the artist.
Unsettled highlights Fleming’s uncompromising approach to art as a tool of personal and political investigation. The exhibition features documentation of iconic performances from the 1980s and ’90s, such as Pretending to be Rock and Something Akin to Living, visceral collages and postcards that reference his lived experiences and intersectional identity, and more recent works like n00se, which addresses state violence against Black men both past and present. Across media, Fleming’s work asks urgent questions: How do we carry inherited trauma? What does it mean to be visibly vulnerable in public? And how can the body become a site of resistance?
Sherman Fleming: Unsettled is organized by Julianne Miao, Curatorial Associate, and Xuxa Rodríguez, PhD, Patsy R. and Raymond D. Nasher Curator of Contemporary Art, with research support from intern Anna Grace Grossnickle T’25. Special thanks to artist Sherman Fleming and Kristine Stiles, PhD, France Family Distinguished Professor of Art, Art History, and Visual Studies at Duke University for their partnership on this project.
The exhibition, which is part of the Nasher’s 20th-anniversary lineup, is free and open to the public in the museum’s Incubator Gallery.
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About the Nasher Museum of Art
The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University is a leading center for the arts in Durham, North Carolina, and a vital resource for both the Duke campus and the surrounding region. Designed by acclaimed architect Rafael Viñoly, the 65,000-square-foot museum has organized more than 125 cutting-edge exhibitions since its opening in 2005, many of which have traveled nationally and internationally. With a strong commitment to contemporary art, the Nasher’s collection emphasizes work by artists who have been historically underrepresented, reflecting its mission to shape a more inclusive art historical narrative. Deeply integrated into Duke’s academic life, the museum fosters interdisciplinary research, supports innovative teaching, and engages students and faculty in critical dialogue. The Nasher also welcomes broader audiences through vibrant community and K–12 programs, and has offered free admission to all visitors since 2022, thanks to the generosity of Jennifer McCracken New and Jason New. To date, more than 1.6 million people have experienced the museum’s exhibitions and programs. Guests can enjoy local fare at the Nasher Museum Café and shop art-inspired gifts at Parker & Otis. Learn more at nasher.duke.edu.