John Akomfrah: The Hour Of The Dog

On November 16, the Baltimore Museum of Art unveiled John Akomfrah: The Hour Of The Dog, a powerful new immersive installation by the acclaimed artist and filmmaker. Through a striking interplay of Civil Rights-era archives and newly filmed scenes, Akomfrah channels the urgency of activist movements while prompting deep reflection on memory, cultural authorship, and the shifting boundaries between past and present.

The Hour Of The Dog draws its title from the Chinese zodiac, which designates it as the time of twilight, the liminal space and threshold between the clarities of the day and the uncertainties of night. With a run-time of 50:37 minutes, the six-channel film is organized as five parables that blend Civil Rights-era archival footage of segregation, protests, and the collective organizing of young activists with new footage that reflects on the passage of time and the lingering remnants of the past. The visual narrative is amplified by an original soundscape composed of archival audio recordings of historic figures, as well as poetic reflections on the nature of time, commentary from television newscasters, fragments of gospel music and protest songs, ambient sounds drawn from rural and urban environments, and an original score by the artist. Together, the multi-channel installation creates a textured and encompassing environment that brings historical narratives into active conversation with the present moment.  

Of the work, Akomfrah noted, “The 1960s in the U.S. have always featured heavily on the edges of my imagination. I grew up reading about figures from the Civil Rights Movement—people I absolutely idolized. It was not merely a time of protest, but a moment when Blackness articulated itself with a radical clarity. Returning to that moment, to those voices, is less about nostalgia and more about listening again—and differently."

The Hour Of The Dog was co-commissioned by the BMA and the Menil Collection in Houston and formally added to the BMA’s collection in 2021. The installation will remain on view in Baltimore through February 1, 2026, before its presentation at the Menil Collection, April 24–October 11, 2026.