1 1/2  cols.

Mustafa Maluka, “I can’t believe you think that of me,” 2007. —Courtesy Galerie Bertrand & Gruner, Geneva, Switzerland

2 cols.

Larry Mantello, “Welcome To…,” 2007. —Courtesy the artist

April 11

STUDIO MUSEUM HARLEM ‘FLOW’ & ‘HARLEM POSTCARDS’ W/2 CUTS requested

, set 3/31 AK/CD #733974

NEW YORK CITY — The Studio Museum Harlem opens the spring season with “Flow,” a survey of new work by 20 emerging African artists. With more than 80 works, this exhibition reflects the multiple influences and thematic breadth of these artists, who live and work throughout Africa, Europe and North America.

On view through June 29, “Flow” is “an exhibition and a concept concerned with the multiple ways people, resources, cultures and ideas move,” says Christine Y. Kim associate curator, who organized the exhibition.

Born after the African independence struggles of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, this generation of artists has witnessed changes in political, economic and social realities. The work they produce includes a diversity of media — painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and installation — which reflects the artists’ multidisciplinary training and experience, as well as their critical approaches. Through an innovative use of materials such as broken Moroccan tea glasses, horse-jumping poles and rubber, some of the artists in this exhibition explore themes of immigration, violence and the failures of assimilation.

Other artists reinterpret the more traditional medium of portraiture by depicting their subjects as displaced, fragmented or masked. And still others call upon everyday objects such as vinyl records, televisions, soap and furniture as they question mass consumption and the production of images in capitalist culture, as well as sexual taboos.

“Flow” is the third in a series of emerging artist exhibitions presented by the Studio Museum and it illustrates the individuality and complexity of Twenty-First Century contemporary art from creators around the world.

Running concurrently with “Flow” is “Harlem Postcards.” Venerable landmarks such as the Abyssinian Baptist Church, Apollo Theater, Hotel Theresa, Audubon Ballroom and 125th Street remain popular emblems of historic moments and moods in Harlem. The Studio Museum’s ongoing series, “Harlem Postcards,” invites contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds to reflect on Harlem as a site for artistic contemplation and a production.

Installed in the museum lobby, “Harlem Postcards” presents intimate views and fresh perspectives on this famous neighborhood. Artists represented in this edition are Evi Abeler, Marc Handelman, Pearl C. Hsiung and Larry Mantello.

The Studio Museum in Harlem is at 144 West 125th Street, between Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard and Lenox Avenue. For information, www.studiomuseum.org or 212-864-4500.