Exhibitions

Marc Padeu: The Blue Man of Njombé will be on view at Jack Bell Gallery in London, United Kingdom from February 14-28, 2020

On February 14th, 2020, Jack Bell gallery presents a solo exhibition of new paintings by Padeu. This exhibition will be the artists first Exhibition in the UK. Marc Padeu’s work questions the memory of the past and the relation to the spiritual in current African societies. He admits to being challenged by the impact of the violence of terrorism on the current society as well as by the contemporary representation of the legacy of the triangular trade. Padeu was laureate of the first art prize 2016: “Bimbia: memory of slavery and the slave trade in Cameroon” organized jointly by the Embassy of the United States of America in Yaoundé and the program Road chieftaincy. His works appear in the permanent collection of the World Bank Washington, but also in important private collections in the West (Francks Suss collection) in a collective exhibition initiated by the Jack bell gallery in London in 2014.

Rashaad Newsome: To Be Real is still on view at the San Francisco Art Institute in San Francisco, United States until February 23, 2020

To Be Real, which takes its name from Cheryl Lynn’s 1977 queer anthem, presents a series of neo-Cubist portraits in expressive frames, threading an ornamental glamour through figures reflecting on human agency, Blackness, and the radical futurity of emerging identities. Paired with new sculpture, A.I. and installation elements, the exhibition invites the viewer to imagine a richer and mutually shared way of being in the world. Together, the collaged and sculptural figures draw from Queer, Black, and Ballroom life itself, pointing to the future utopias that these lives represent and inspire. At the conceptual center of the exhibition, stands the interactive A.I. Being. The programming of the cloud-based A.I. being has been populated with the works of radical authors, revolutionaries, and theorists. Housed apart from the main exhibition space in its own gallery, Being acts as the critical heart or brain of the exhibition, exploring ideas about individual agency and historical oppression.

Now Look Here: The African Art of Appearance is still on view at Amsterdam North in Amsterdam, Netherlands until February 23, 2020

This group exhibition showcases the work of eighteen African artists whose work at first glance stands out for its attention to outward appearance: everything is colourful, radiant, smooth, and aesthetic. On closer inspection, the seductive surface proves to be a lure that draws visitors into a deeper story, in which perspectives are reversed: white becomes black, stigma becomes beauty, a skivvy turns out to be a high priestess, and apparent footnotes to history are revealed as prominent figures. The works address, directly or indirectly, the historical abuses and current troubles that dominate the media image of Africa. But the artists take charge of this image, and in doing so, set a completely different tone. What connects the photos, videos and performances in Now Look Here is a superior game of clichés and prejudices, in which humour, beauty and optimism challenge daily reality.

Festivals

Design Indaba Festival 2020 will take place at the Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town, South Africa from February 26-28, 2020

Design Indaba has seen over 600 illustrious speakers take to the stage to deliver soul-stirring and mind-awakening talks earning the acclaim as the best conference in the world whilst also actively pursuing change and action - seeding over 200 impact driven projects into the public square. Design Indaba 2020 will be a 3-day multi-sensory, thought provoking and expansive experience that includes a series of captivating talks by day and festival by night, featuring live music, theatre, exhibitions and masterclasses. The event will boast star-studded speaker alumni - leaders and achievers in a variety of fields – that constitute the who’s who of international design. Several speakers will grace Design Indaba’s stage to share their progressive work in genres as diverse as business innovation, product design, costume design, performance art, architecture, food design – and many more.

Art Fairs

Investec Cape Town Art Fair will open at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa from February 14-16, 2020

Positioned as the leading art fair in Africa, ICTAF 2020 will include the foremost galleries from South Africa, the African continent, and abroad. Tomorrows/Today is the section of the fair, which is dedicated to highlighting the practices of emerging and under-represented artists. Now in its third iteration, SOLO will explore different representations of space including but not limited to the urban, domestic, architectural, and virtual, in a variety of media. Each edition of SOLO aims to present a more in-depth insight into the artistic practices of a varied selection of artists than is commonly found in the commercially-driven art fair setting. Past/Modern introduces a new guest-curated programme featuring presentations by Modern masters. For this edition, the fair will present Southern Guild as a special project. Globally recognised for their leading African collectible design. Editions will showcase leading print galleries and workshops that specialise in prints, multiples, and editions.