Nicola Green: In Seven Days... A witness to history, an artwork for future generations

Between 2008 and 2009, British artist Nicola Green witnessed first-hand Barack Obama’s historic journey to the White House. Over the course of six trips across the United States, she gained unprecedented artistic access to his campaign, election, and inauguration. Motivated by her position as a white mother to children of mixed heritage, Green approached this moment not as a commissioned documentarian, but as an independent artist. This unique vantage point allowed her to recognise that it would take generations to fully understand the long term significance of President Obama’s election. She created a vast body of work over many years. The resulting series, In Seven Days…, was hailed by The Metropolitan Museum of Art as “an artistic and historic masterpiece.” It reflects on cycles of change, creating the seemingly impossible, and the often imperceptible implications of this watershed moment. It speaks to questions of history, heritage, democracy, and representation; themes that continue to resonate far beyond the 2008 election. This book offers the first in-depth examination of the complete In Seven Days… series, much of which has remained unpublished until now. Featuring texts by leading voices in art, culture, and politics, it traces the creation of the work while considering its manifold meanings and is a meditation on the enduring legacy of that extraordinary moment for future generations.