“Emancipation Group,” created by American sculptor Thomas Ball in 1873, depicts Abraham Lincoln standing with an outstretched hand over a crouching, nude, formerly enslaved man wearing broken chains. Through examining works like this one — and its greatly unequal power dynamic — the Chazen is asking, “Can we start to have a really thoughtful conversation about race and racism by using objects?” said Chazen director Amy Gilman.

The Chazen has launched “re:mancipation,” a collaborative project across disciplines that will culminate in a documentary film and an exhibition by the renowned contemporary artist Sanford Biggers in spring 2023.