Paul Mpagi Sepuya: Compressed Tenses Opening Reception

Visit the Alice F. And Harris K. Weston Art Gallery and enjoy an Opening Reception for "Paul Mpagi Sepuya: Compressed Tenses," a featured exhibition in the FotoFocus 2026 Biennial . "Paul Mpagi Sepuya" challenges traditional portraiture through layering, fragmentation, mirrors and the Black, queer gaze. His studio-based practice explores presence and absence while revealing the tools and processes behind photography, including backdrops, lighting, lenses and cameras. "Compressed Tenses" highlights Sepuya's ongoing practice of physical collage, which began with a 2018 Rauschenberg Residency. Using a small laser printer, Sepuya tears and rearranges images into analog compositions that echo his larger digital works. The exhibition examines the histories of photography, the gaze, otherness, queerness and the Black body while emphasizing the tactile, human elements of image-making. This Biennial Opening Program event is free and open to the public with the Biennial Pass. The Biennial Pass offers free access to over 70 photography and lens-based exhibitions during the month of October with invitations to exclusive events, including entry into the Opening Program (Sept. 30-Oct. 3). The Opening Program establishes the core theme of the Biennial and features receptions, guided tours, talks, panel discussions and a keynote lecture. Many venues and their events are free and open to the public; however, for those with admission fees, the Pass waives entry to Biennial exhibitions. T