Turn the volume up!

27 August, 2026 – 11 July, 2027

Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University
The Brenda La Grange Johnson and Heather Johnson Sargent Pavilion
2001 Campus Drive
Durham, NC 27705
USA

https://nasher.duke.edu/exhibitions/turn-the-volume-up/

Turn the volume up! examines how artists, activists, and everyday people have used their voices to challenge injustice, build communities, and shape public life, inviting visitors to consider how we might do the same. Open during the United States’ 250th anniversary, the exhibition situates these stories within the broader history of American democracy, highlighting how speaking out, documenting events, organizing movements, and creating art can galvanize collective action.

The exhibition is divided into five thematic sections informed by governmental processes and community organizing: Remarks, Organize, Records, Dissents, and Petitions. Through photographs, paintings, prints, sculpture, installation, and archival materials, artists examine how we can influence public discourse and inspire civic action.

Turn the volume up! highlights how seemingly ordinary acts, such as voting, petitioning, protesting, taking photographs, or making speeches, can become part of larger movements that strengthen communities and influence history. The exhibition’s title references New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s quotation of Bronx rapper KRS-One’s 2020 anthem, “Turn the Volume Up,” after his election victory—a moment that underscored the power of everyday people participating in local democracy.

Featuring works by influential artists such as Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, Guerrilla Girls, and Sam Durant, Turn the volume up! offers a range of perspectives on power, representation, and the ongoing work of building a more equitable future. Artworks will be rotated throughout the exhibition’s run, pulling from the Nasher Museum’s deep collection of works connected to social justice and community organizing.

Featured Artists
Juan Abreu, Francis Alÿs, Holly Bass, Chuck Close, Robert Colescott, Luis Cruz Azaceta, Jamal Cyrus, Bruce Davidson, Karla Diaz, Sam Durant, Jordan Eagles, Tom Farris, Bill Fick, Laura Fields, Leonard Freed, Juan Genovés, Ralph Gibson, Guerrilla Girls, Lyle Ashton Harris, Ken Heyman, Thomas Hirschhorn, Reggie Burrows Hodges, Vitaly Komar, Alexander Kosolapov, Dapper Bruce Lafitte, Pedro Lasch, Pepe Mar, Mary Ellen Mark, Spider Martin, Paul Pfeiffer, Marielle Plaisir, John Rhoden, Larry Rivers, Dario Robleto, Milton Rogovin, Sheldon Scott, Leonid Sokov, Lou Stoumen, Carol Summers, Mark di Suvero, Barthélémy Toguo, Carlos Vega, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, Peter Williams, Purvis Young, and Ross Bleckner, Louise Bourgeois, Mike Kelley, Simon Leung, Lorna Simpson, Kiki Smith, and Nancy Spero for ACT UP.

Turn the volume up! is organized by Xuxa Rodríguez, PhD, Patsy R. and Raymond D. Nasher Curator of Contemporary Art, with support from Julianne Miao, Curatorial Associate.