Following the year-end holidays, as we continue to digest festive meals and, at times, familial conflicts, certain questions arise. What do these events reveal about our relationship with family, and more fundamentally, what is a family?

For Sophie Calabru, a contemporary philosopher, «making family» goes beyond the mere biological or legal framework to embrace a broader concept. It is a living construct, where biological, social, and emotional ties intersect with chosen connections, woven through circumstances or affinities. Within this concept of «making family» lies the idea that relationships can emerge in unexpected places, transforming groups into genuine «families». But what about contemporary art? Could we envision a particular kind of «family» within it?

A Family Without Borders
Contemporary art, as a universal language, transcends geographical, cultural, and historical boundaries. «Making family» in this domain could mean creating a community of artists, thinkers, or collectors united not by a common heritage but by a shared vision, an emotional or intellectual resonance. Like a chosen family, such a community would be built on exchanges, mutual inspirations, and occasionally, tensions.

In this model, a painting, sculpture, or installation becomes more than a mere object; it is a meeting point — a space where individual narratives intersect and intertwine to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Art then transforms into a domestic space, a symbolic «home» where everyone finds their place.

Legacies and Breakaways
The history of art is rich with these artistic «families»: groups and movements that, while asserting collective identities, forged connections with their predecessors. Impressionists, Surrealists, the Guerrilla Girls, or Net Art practitioners — all claimed a belonging that transcended style: a shared quest, a common vision of the world.

However, «making family» in this context does not necessarily mean adhering to a lineage. It can also mean breaking away from artistic heritage to create a new one, just as a child might choose to emancipate themselves from their biological family to build their own story and community. Contemporary artists exploring hybrid, collaborative, or transdisciplinary practices embody this process, redefining what it means to belong to a specific «family».

Making Family, a Radical Gesture
In an increasingly fragmented world marked by individualism and divisions, «making family» in contemporary art emerges as a radical act. It is a way to reaffirm that art is neither a luxury nor a market commodity but a deeply human need: the need to connect, to share, to build together.

Museums, galleries, studios, biennials, and art spaces like White Space Black Box play a crucial role in this dynamic. These spaces become homes where the «art family» is constructed, as well as crossroads where ideas, sensibilities, and visions converge.

What if we considered each artwork as a family member? The upcoming White Space Black Box exhibition indirectly explores this concept. It will highlight singular art objects — distant «cousins» long hidden in the shadows — and yet, this family is the most renowned among the unknown. Come meet them starting January 11, 2025.