Contemporary Collection

More about the Contemporary Collection

The Harn Museum’s collection comprises 1,700 works that represent major movements in global contemporary art. The collection traces the evolution of artistic ideas and practices through key figures who have shaped the field in Geometric and Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptualism, Assemblage, Kinetic and Op Art, Craft and Fiber Arts, Installation, and Performance art.

A major turning point in the growth of the collection came with the acquisition of two landmark works: Nets-Infinity (2004) by Yayoi Kusama and Old Man’s Cloth (2003) by El Anatsui. These additions signaled a deepened commitment to reflecting a broad spectrum of global voices. Today, the collection amplifies perspectives from Latin America and the U.S. Latinx diaspora, Sub-Saharan Africa and African American communities, East Asia and the Asian American experience, as well as Native American and other Indigenous traditions. Artists such as Kara Walker, Ana Mendieta, William Kentridge, Los Carpinteros, Cindy Sherman, Patrick Bongoy, and Kiki de Saint Phalle exemplify the diversity, innovation, and cultural urgency that defines the Harn.

The collection has also grown in step with pivotal shifts in contemporary practice that happened in the 1990s, shaped by the rise of the information age, artistic research, and an expanding planetary consciousness. Originally organized by medium, the collection now embraces key thematic concerns including social and political critique, anti-colonial resistance, memory and archival practice, identity and representation, environmental justice, and the transformative potential of emerging technologies.

A milestone in the museum’s commitment to contemporary art came in 2005 with the opening of the 7,500-square-foot Mary Ann Harn Cofrin Pavilion. This dedicated space anchored the museum’s contemporary vision, extending into the Robert and Nancy Magoon Sculpture Garden. Alongside the Magoon many outdoor spaces feature large-scale sculptures by Jane Manus, Jonathan Borofsky, and Paul Fullerton, all of which exemplify the museum’s ongoing engagement with space, scale, and ecological resonance.

With its breadth, global scope, and thematic depth, the Harn Museum’s contemporary collection stands as a leading resource for art and ideas—an institution where the cutting edge of creative practice meets pressing questions of our time.