Presented alongside works by Nam June Paik, Vito Acconci, and Charlotte Posenenske, Christina Quarles' vibrant compositions feature abstract representations of the human form.

For over ten years, Christina Quarles, a painter based in LA (born in 1985), has been creating figurative abstractions that simultaneously exist within the confines of the canvas yet transcend those boundaries. This is her way of contemplating the "experience of inhabiting a body that is gendered and racialized." Collapsed Time showcases Quarles' pieces and situates them in a larger historical art context. The exhibition features some of Quarles' paintings and drawings, including a large-scale, site-specific piece, displayed within a specially designed architectural installation. The works engage in a dialogue with a selection of pieces from the National Gallery's collection by renowned artists such as Vito Acconci, Nam June Paik, and Charlotte Posenenske.