Render of Asaase III (2023) by Sir David Adjaye OBE, in situ at The Griot Museum of Black History. Commissioned for the Counterpublic 2023 triennial. Image credit: Adjaye Associates.
The first permanent public artwork by David Adjaye, architect of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, will soon have a home in St. Louis.
Adjaye’s Asaase III will be a monument on the grounds of the Griot Museum of Black History that is meant to pay tribute to Black architecture and its relationship to the earth. The sculpture will be built using rammed earth, an ancient technique that typically uses a wooden frame to compress soil and create sturdy walls that consist entirely of local material and use little energy to build. It will be constructed on site at the Griot over the next six months.
Counterpublic, a public art platform focused on weaving contemporary art into the daily life of St. Louis, has commissioned the work. Lee Broughton, co-founder of Counterpublic, and his wife, Chrissy Taylor, are funding the donation to the Griot, where Counterpublic will pilot a two-year, full-time fellowship to maintain, contextualize, and conserve the project.
“The addition of this significant piece of art to The Griot Collection marks another historic event for us as we celebrate our 25th anniversary,” Lois Conley, founder of the Griot, said in a statement. “We appreciate the level of exposure that being selected as the home for this major work, by such a renowned architect, will bring to the museum, the St. Louis Place neighborhood, and North St. Louis, more broadly.”
Adjaye has earned acclaim as one of the leading architects of his generation. His work on the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was hailed as the 2016 cultural event of the year by The New York Times. The Ghanaian-British architect was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II a year later.
Upon its completion in April 2023, Asaase III will be one of the signature works for Counterpublic’s 2023 exhibition, which will feature more than 30 commissioned art and architectural installations, and include four permanent, site-specific sculptures along a six-mile footprint in the city.
“The Griot is an important part of telling St. Louis’s cultural history and, we believe, a cornerstone of its future,” Broughton said in a statement. “Our hope is that by bringing David Adjaye’s first permanent public artwork to this vital organization, it can support this vision, be a part of generational change through Counterpublic’s efforts and shine a light on St. Louis.”
