Storm in the Time of Shelter

In 2014, Paul Rucker began producing Ku Klux Klan robes in nontraditional materials. For the ICA, he has created the largest assembly of these figures to date, extending his ongoing series Storm in the Time of Shelter. They are arranged in a large “x” formation, displayed on slightly larger-than-life mannequins, and accompanied by three cases of historical texts and artifacts.

The cases contain objects from his own collection that address the origin, organization, and ideology of the Klan. Rucker also created an in-depth newspaper that provides further historical background and context to the artifacts and overall project, which is available for visitors to take from the gallery and available on subsequent pages. The installation evokes repeating patterns of history, building on Rucker’s research into historical and current manifestations of systemic racism in the United States.

Supplemental newspaper for Storm in the Time of Shelter