Tavares Strachan, a Bahamian conceptual artist known for his encyclopedic work that challenges historical narratives, has released his first monograph through Phaidon. The book surveys decades of his expansive practice, which includes a 2,400-page encyclopedia from 2018 correcting omissions from the Encyclopedia Britannica, as well as works addressing colonialism, climate change, and space exploration. The monograph coincides with his exhibition 'The Day Tomorrow Began' at The Pizzuti, part of the Columbus Museum of Art, running through January 3.
This monograph matters because it provides the first comprehensive overview of Strachan's interdisciplinary practice, which spans sculpture, painting, performance, and scientific research. His founding of the Bahamas Aerospace and Sea Exploration Center (BASEC) and launch of a satellite honoring Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. exemplify how his art engages with real-world issues of erasure and progress. The book's release underscores Strachan's growing prominence as a leading conceptual artist whose work questions collective narratives and connects historical, present, and future concerns.