Kambui Olujimi: Zulu Time

The Blanton Museum of Art presents a solo exhibition of new work by Kambui Olujimi, a Brooklyn native whose multi-disciplinary practice calls attention to the assumptions that underlie our understanding of the world at large.

In Kambui Olujimi: Zulu Time, the artist explores, among other concerns, the interlocking systems of power and invisible hierarchies that impact our daily lives. Mobilizing a broad range of artistic mediums and approaches, from glass blowing to wheat pasting, Olujimi paves the way for us to engage in an open dialogue about how we see and experience the world and each other.

Time itself manifests as the most invisible yet pervasive force in this exhibition, as implied by the show’s title. “Zulu Time” is the short-hand term for the world’s standardized mode of tracking time. Specifically, it references the time at the prime meridian (longitude 0 degrees)—the invisible and ultimately arbitrary line from which all global time zones are calculated. Since Great Britain was the world’s foremost maritime power when the concept of latitude and longitude originated, the starting point for designating longitude is based on the location of the British Naval Observatory in Greenwich, England. Thus, Zulu Time literally revolves around Western norms for structuring a day. Olujimi reframes the notion of universal time as an intangible yet ever-present expression of dominance and an imposition of control—a residue of Empire. On view January 26 through July 14, 2019, Kambui Olujimi: Zulu Time will offer Blanton visitors an opportunity to consider these timely concepts through the artist’s compelling two-dimensional and sculptural work.

This exhibition originated at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) in Madison, Wisconsin.