Antoine’s Organ (2016) is a monumental, immersive multimedia installation by contemporary artist Rashid Johnson, on view as a part of his career-spanning exhibition, A Poem for Deep Thinkers. Serving as a metaphor for the artist’s own brain, the artwork explores complex themes of race, class, yearning, Afrocentric identity, and the subversion of cultural containment.

Named after the classically trained pianist and music producer Antoine Baldwin (also known as Audio BLK), who originally activated the work in its 2016 debut, a piano is hidden at the center of the labyrinthine structure. Throughout the exhibition’s run, musicians perform live improvisations from within the structure. Music floats through the foliage, giving life and cohering community through shared narrative.

Due to limited capacity, we encourage guests to cycle through the gallery during the performance.

About the Performer

Miguel de la Cerna is a Chicago-based pianist, composer, arranger, and music director whose work spans jazz, theater, opera, and interdisciplinary artistic collaborations. A third-generation musician, de la Cerna has built a career distinguished by his expressive approach to improvisation, creative interpretation, and musical storytelling. His collaborations include Oscar Brown Jr., Dee Alexander, Regina Taylor, Corey Wilkes, and Sir Kahil El’Zabar, among many others. A commissioned composer for the Hyde Park Jazz Festival and the Orion Ensemble, de la Cerna has also contributed to theatrical and operatic productions and performed internationally. His recent work includes a musical collaboration for an installation at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC, reflecting his growing engagement with the intersection of music and visual art. Whether performing solo or collaborating across disciplines, de la Cerna approaches music as a means of connecting people, ideas, and experiences.