Revisit what you think you know about race, skin tone, and color at the traveling, work in process exhibit Humanae, on view at The Health Museum through Tuesday, September 5, 2017.
Conceived and created by Brazilian artist and internationally renowned TED Talk speaker Angélica Dass, Humanae at The Health Museum explores human identity and race through a series of 250 portraits of people from around the world.
The photos and subjects have been classified based solely on how their skin tone corresponds to the Pantone Matching System. Used around the world, Pantone ensures consistency of color in industrial uses, including applications in creating paints, dyes, prints, and other productions.
All of the individuals photographed volunteered for the project and there are no classifications based on nationality, gender, age, race, social class, or religion.
However, the human eye quickly recognizes a discrepancy between the many actual skin tones as categorized and traditionally held ideas of race and ethnicity.
Creating Humanae: A Work in Progress
To date, Dass has photographed and catalogued more than 3,500 people in 17 countries as part of her project. All volunteers have had a full knowledge and understanding of Dass’ project and vision.
Humanae was created to highlight humankind’s true colors rather than the misnomers of white, red, black, or yellow that are so strongly associated with race.
“It͛s been 129 years since the last country in the world abolished slavery and 54 years since Martin Luther King pronounced his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, but we still live in a world where the color of our skin not only gives a first impression, but a lasting one that remains,” said Dass.
For the Houston exhibit, Dass curated 250 photos from the collection.
About Angélica Dass
A Brazilian artist living and working in Madrid, Angélica Dass has been internationally acclaimed through this pivotal project. Showcased in numerous exhibitions and talks across the continents, and through the TED Global in Vancouver in 2016, her issues and philosophies of the project have reached to the extended numbers of audiences around the world.
Dass holds BA in Fine Arts at UFRJ, Brazil and MA in Photography at EFTI, Spain. In 2014, Time Magazine named her one of the “Nine Brazilian Photographers You Need to Follow.”
Humanae at The Health Museum
“With Houston as the most diverse city in the United States, we are excited to invite Houstonians to discover the many commonalities we share as human beings, instead of what we may perceive as our differences,” said Dr. Melanie Johnson, president and CEO of The Health Museum.
Humanae, Work in Progress at The Health Museum
- Dates: Daily through Tuesday, September 5, 2017
- Times: Mondays through Wednesdays 9am to 5pm; Thursdays 9am to 7pm; Fridays and Saturdays 9am to 5pm; Sundays noon to 5pm.
- Location: The Health Museum, 1515 Hermann Drive, Houston, TX 77004
- Parking: Surface lot parking is available at the museum for $5; $3 for members.
- Admission: Tickets are $10; $8 for ages 3 to 12 and seniors 65 and older; free for members and children 2 and under; free on Thursdays from 2pm to 7pm for families. Active and retired personnel receive half-off admission for up to four people. General admission also provides access to the museum’s multiple exhibits. Click here for tickets or more information on museum hours.
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