Exhibitions

Robert Pruitt: To Control the Universe will be on view at Salon 94 in New York, United States until October 30, 2021

For his second solo exhibition at Salon 94, Robert Pruitt has drawn eleven heroically-scaled drawings that bring together mortals, gods, monsters, and machines. Inspired by James Baldwin’s 1953 essay “A Stranger in the Village,” Pruitt taps into the sublime loneliness that Baldwin experiences as a Black man living in a Swiss Alpine village. He hones in on the themes of this text—racial isolation and human connection—and creates a panoply of characters that coexist in his crafted universe. Pruitt’s drawing, like Baldwin’s writing, is the act that bridges material and imagined realms. Doing so makes visible the paradoxes of social alienation and marginalization experienced by African Americans living in a world of Black fetishization and hero- making. Through charged visual symbols, Robert Pruitt’s work reshapes this narrative, drawing upon religion, spirituality, and fantasy to create a new mythos around a shared Black American identity.

Nirit Takele: The Space between Us will be on view at Addis Fine Art in London, United Kingdom from October 8-30, 2021

This October, Addis Fine Art London, a two-storey permanent gallery space in the heart of Fitzrovia ,will be opening with a solo exhibition of new paintings by Ethiopian- Israeli Nirit Takele titled, The Space Between Us. Through her vibrant figurative paintings, Ethiopian- Israeli artist Nirit Takele offers a deeply personal insight into the everyday reality of the Beta Israel community, ranging from the unique beauty of its culture to the various issues it currently faces. Nirit also tackles questions surrounding gender and race, whilst introspectively interrogating her own memories of the folkloric Ethiopian culture she was taught as a child.

Festivals

8th Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa from October 14-24, 2021

Fak’ugesi Festival 2021 will continue to bring industry, researchers and creators together to celebrate how technology enables creativity while zooming in on the ways this relationship shapes our lives. From the 14th to the 24th of October 2021, the festival returns to explore what building currently means for creatives using tech, under the banner of this year’s theme: #BuildCozYouHaveTo. The new “phygital” format festival will take place online with some in-person interventions in Johannesburg, but don’t expect a handful of Zoom panels. Expect an immersive, multifaceted virtual experience, including workshops, a conference, screenings and exhibitions, a new virtual expo, and a full slate of awards for young creators breaking the mould in digital creativity.

Art Fairs

1-54 London will open at Somerset House in London, United Kingdom from October 14-17, 2021

1-54 is looking forward to welcoming you to London for our ninth and largest edition yet. Work from 48, leading international galleries from 19 countries across Europe, Africa and North America will be presented. Among the exhibitors this year are 20 galleries from Africa, a record number of galleries from the continent, and of the 48 exhibitors, 13 galleries will be welcomed to the London fair for the first time. The work of more than 150 emerging and established artists will be showcased, working in a wide variety of mediums and from a range of geographical backgrounds. The fair will be accompanied by 1-54 Forum, an extensive programme of artist talks, panels, screenings, performances and readings that will take place both online and at Somerset House. 1-54 Online powered by Christie’s will also return, providing a virtual experience where visitors will encounter additional works displayed by participating galleries as well as highlights from the fair itself.

Auctions

Modern and Contemporary African Art will open at Sotheby’s in London, United Kingdom from October 14-20, 2021

This October, Sotheby’s will present a specially curated collection of paintings, photographs, drawings and sculpture from across the African continent and diaspora. Highlights include works by some of the Masters of African Modernism, including Ben Enwonwu, Yusuf Grillo, Iba N’Diaye, Skunder Boghossian, Akinola Lasekan and Mohamed Melehi, a newly discovered portrait by the grand dame of South African art, Irma Stern, as well as pieces by some of the most in-demand young artists including Aboudia and Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga. The highlights exhibition will run from 16-20 October, alongside Frieze London and the 1-54 Contemporary Art Fair, when the most seasoned collectors of African and International art from around the globe will gather in London.