Futura's artistic (r)evolution

When Futura 2000, real name Leonard Hilton McGurr (*1955), painted a New York subway car in 1980, he marked a turning point in graffiti art. His abstract painting was a novelty in the scene, in which large lettering had previously been the most common form of expression. Since Futura's painted wagon, titled Break, abstraction has found its way into graffiti. The Bronx Museum in New York is honoring the influential contemporary artist with a major retrospective: FUTURA 2000: BREAKING OUT traces the development of Futura's work in detail, places it in context and explains why the artist holds this exceptional position. The exhibition runs until March 30, 2025.

Futura, active as Futura 2000 until the turn of the millennium, is influenced in his work by his interest in science fiction and the Space Age. Recurring motifs are the shape of the atom, which symbolizes constant movement, cranes, which mark breaks, and the enigmatic Pointman, which is reminiscent of an extraterrestrial being and exudes a certain menace. The exhibition is dedicated to Futura's entire oeuvre from the 1970s to the present day and also presents numerous sculptures, drawings, prints, temporary installations and diverse archive material. Futura's works can be found in various museum collections, including the New Museum in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands and the Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna in Italy.