New Permanent Gallery: The Byzantine and Islamic Worlds
Curated by Katherine Burge
From late antiquity through the early modern era, the Middle East and North Africa formed a dynamic cultural region. As Rome’s power declined, new connections formed between people. These connections were shaped by religion, shared customs, and long-standing trade networks that linked the region.
The Byzantine Empire ruled the Eastern Mediterranean from Constantinople, combining Rome’s imperial legacy with Orthodox Christianity. At the same time, diverse religious communities lived within its borders. Islam emerged in the 7th century, later spreading across the Middle East and North Africa and reshaping political and religious life. Muslims, Christians, Jews, and other communities shared cities and everyday practices while maintaining distinct identities. Cities such as Cairo, Damascus, and Baghdad became centers of trade and learning, linking Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean. Along land and sea routes, merchants, pilgrims, scholars, and soldiers carried goods, technologies, and ideas—sometimes provoking conflict, but more often stimulating cultural and intellectual exchange.
Together, the Byzantine and Islamic worlds were a vibrant crossroads of peoples and traditions.
Expected opening: August 2026
Ancient Abstractions: Roman Visual Trends Beyond Naturalism
Curated by Nicola Barham
The lifelike naturalistic bodies of Greek and Roman sculpture have been a source of wonder since the Renaissance. Indeed, the Italian Renaissance artist Vasari identified the ancient world as the time “when sculpture rose to its greatest height.” But close likenesses of the natural world are not the only visual products of the ancient past. This exhibition traces alternative visual trends of the ancient Roman world that today would be considered examples of abstraction. It focuses on monuments and motifs that have long been pushed to the margins of our accounts of ancient art. Oversize arrangements of interlocking shapes pulsate in bold block colors from tombs, temples, and homes; stylized animals flicker into view, only to collapse once more into bright geometric arrangements; and artists adopt experimental shorthands for the depiction of space across media. Anticipating recent interests in color and form, the visual trends of antiquity emerge as much more varied than has long been told.
Expected opening: Fall 2026
Collaborative Archaeology at Jebel Barkal, Sudan
Curated by Suzanne Davis and Geoff Emberling
Jebel Barkal in northern Sudan has captivated local communities, explorers, and archaeologists for centuries. Once the capital of the powerful African empire of Kush, the site’s spectacular ruins include royal pyramid tombs, temples, palaces, and the newly discovered ancient city itself. Across its long history, Jebel Barkal has played a part in the rise and fall of empires, adapted to a changing climate, and been home to fascinating people, from iconic rulers to everyday residents.
Since 2016, a joint team from Sudan’s National Corporation of Museums and Antiquities and the University of Michigan has investigated the ancient city while working to preserve this important site. Collaborative Archaeology at Jebel Barkal, Sudan, will highlight major discoveries from the past decade through video, photography, and interactive displays, exploring the modern methods used to study and protect the site amid a devastating war. Along the way, visitors will meet the people essential to telling the story of Jebel Barkal’s past, present, and future.
Expected opening: Winter 2027
