The Memorial Union Art Gallery is hosting “Critical Collection,” an exhibition of work by Evan Hume, assistant professor of art and visual culture, from June 1–Aug. 7. Gallery hours are Monday–Friday from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and Sunday from 1–4 p.m. A come-and-go reception will be from 6:30–8 p.m. Thursday, June 11.
Hume is a photographic artist who uses experimental imaging methods to alter and combine declassified material from intelligence archives. “Critical Collection” examines the often-overlooked systems behind how images are created and used, and how these systems have influenced power in the modern world. It explores photography not only as art, but as evidence and as a tool that has supported both visible and hidden political agendas.
By altering and reusing archival images, Hume challenges how we understand photographs as records of truth, showing how images—and the histories they represent—can be reshaped. At a time of AI proliferation and heightened global tensions, this exhibition invites viewers to take a closer look at once-secret technologies of image-making and consider what stories might still be hidden from view.
About the artist
Hume received his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and MFA from George Washington University. He has exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions, and his work has been featured by publications such as Aperture, Financial Times, and The New York Times.
Hume has published two photography monographs with Daylight Books: Viewing Distance (2001) and Critical Collection (2025), and both are available for purchase at the gallery.