Ideas change everything

An artist's unflinching look at racial violence

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Sanford Biggers |

TED2016

• February 2016

Conceptual artist and TED Fellow Sanford Biggers uses painting, sculpture, video and performance to spark challenging conversations about the history and trauma of black America. Join him as he details two compelling works and shares the motivation behind his art. "Only through more thoughtful dialogue about history and race can we evolve as individuals and society," Biggers says.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Conceptual artist and TED Fellow Sanford Biggers uses painting, sculpture, video and performance to spark challenging conversations about the history and trauma of black America. Join him as he details two compelling works and shares the motivation behind his art. "Only through more thoughtful dialogue about history and race can we evolve as individuals and society," Biggers says.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

About the speaker

Sanford Biggers

Conceptual artist

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Sanford Biggers creates art that upends traditional narratives about topics ranging from hip hop to Buddhism to American history.

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Racial violence, cast in bronze, etched in glass

The work of artist Sanford Biggers walks a fine line between poetic and provocative, brilliantly sparking discussion about race, violence and fallen heroes.

null - Racial violence, cast in bronze, etched in glass

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.