Acquisition: David, MacDonald, Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum has revealed the nearly 600 works that it acquired in roughly the past year, providing a view into the institution’s collecting priorities as it marks its 200th anniversary.

Contemporary art continued to be a core focus, with works by Tony Bechara, Nicole Eisenman, Jack Pierson, Enrique Chagoya, Bisa Butler, and others of note joining the museum’s holdings in 2025. Also among the newly acquired works is Christian Marclay’s 2022 video Doors, which is currently on view at the institution.

The museum also received a gift of photography from Greg and Clark Wakabayashi, the children of the late fashion photographer Hiro, that included pictures by Richard Avedon, Bill Brandt, Irving Penn, and others.

Meanwhile, the museum worked to expand its holdings related to Africa and its diaspora ahead of the opening of a gallery devoted to that area of the collection in 2027. The museum is also focused on acquiring design objects, with the plans to add some to its current presentation of that field, “Design: 1880 to Now.”

In a statement, Anne Pasternak, the museum’s director, said, “We are tremendously grateful for the enduring support of our benefactors, whose partnership helps build a collection that inspires wonder, connects us to our shared sense of humanity, and explores important historical narratives. It’s an honor to welcome these remarkable and significant contributions to our collection, and to share them with our community.”

David MacDonald, Beaded Nyama Form, 1979

Paying homage to a range of African traditions, David McDonald has titled his piece, Beaded Nyama Form, after a life force believed to be found in certain animals, according to various West African thought systems. The Brooklyn Museum plans to add the work to its galleries for design objects in February.

- Alex Greenberger, ARTnews