Exhibitions

Xenson: Kaddugalamukatale is still on view at Afriart Gallery in Kampala, Uganda until October 28, 2022

The term Kaddugalamukatale is made up of three Luganda words: Kaddugala mu katale, which literally translates into “the Black person in the marketplace” or in a more abstract sense “the Black person’s place in economy”. It could also mean “one small slave” based on the word kaddu or “to be dirty” based on the verb okudugala. The ambiguous title of this exhibition indicates Xenson’s engagement with multiple perspectives, the open-endedness of his artistry, and his passion to navigate a variety of concepts, and to reflect the complexity of contemporary culture. In this exhibition, the artist dives into the intersections between the Black person being buyer, salesperson and commodity at different times in history and in the present; the questions of who is buying, who or what is the commodity, and who is offering, lead into explorations of trade, consumerism, power imbalances in the global market, and Blackness – with a focus on Uganda within its global ties.

Cyrus Kabiru: A Small World is still on view at AKKA Project in Venice, Italy until October 28, 2022

Following the AKKA Project Venice Artist Residency program of 2021, AKKA Project reveals the residency outcome by announcing Cyrus Kabiru’s solo exhibition. The exhibition is a special project that has been incorporated in their ongoing seven-month-long African Identities group exhibition. It consists of works produced during Cyrus’ stay in Venice from August 25 - October 31, 2021, as well as works created in his studio in Nairobi with Venicitan found objects that he has carried with him to Kenya. Inspired by found objects from his local landscape, Nairobi Kenya, Cyrus took on the enriching experience within the city of Venice, using found objects and materials to reflect both the city and his intriguing style. Cyrus’s chosen medium of expression emphasizes the concept of repurposing and his nostalgic connection to humble objects around him. Best known for his self-portraits and C-stunners, Cyrus’s work reflects his standpoint providing viewers with a fresh set of lenses.

Sandra Brewster: Roots is still on view at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto, Canada until October 31, 2022

Roots is an outdoor photographic installation by Sandra Brewster that explores the long history of Black presence in the urban wilderness. Like friendly spectral entities, Brewster’s works guide viewers through these outdoor spaces, hovering above and enmeshing with the plant life of the expansive site and gardens, and echoing walks the artist took with activist, scholar, and founder of Black Outdoors, Jacqueline L. Scott, as they travelled along the Don River in preparatory research for Roots. The project animates the roots of Brewster’s Caribbean Canadian diasporic narrative and speaks more broadly to Black histories on this land. What constitutes multitudinous Black experiences in the Canadian wilderness? Brewster connects Canada and Guyana, Toronto’s forests and the Amazonian jungle, offering new perspectives on ideas of home and belonging while contributing to rich histories of the Black diaspora in the land now called Canada. These photographic panels chart movement and migration toward and across lands complicated by histories of unceded territories and enslavement.

Art Fairs

AKAA 2022 will open at Carreau du Temple in Paris, France from October 20-23, 2022

Over the years, AKAA has remained true to its original vision, an invitation to discover artists who claim a link in their practice to the African continent. A contemporary look at these artistic scenes that goes beyond geographical borders, open to dialogue, discovery and wonder without clichés or preconceptions. Thus, to accompany the artistic projects of its exhibitors, AKAA has created Les Rencontres, a cultural platform within the fair where artists, curators, thinkers, art professionals and visitors may express themselves and debate publicly. With a rich program of conferences, screenings, performances and readings, Les Rencontres AKAA invites each and every one to reflect on questions related to current artistic issues and the art market in Africa. This year, Armelle Dakouo, Artistic Director, presents a cultural program that will explore themes inspired by the movement in art, because “it is movement that marks gesture, influences a current or determines an artistic practice and thought process.”

Conferences

Past Statements – Present Futures will be hosted at Haus der Kunst in Munich, Germany from October 7-8, 2022

Recent debates in both Munich and throughout the world have been grappling with the question of whether the monuments in our cities are in fact truly representative of our contemporary ideals. Clearly, this is not always the case, as monuments from past times necessarily express past statements. What do we do with this discrepancy? And how can a diverse, democratic present address the past in a contemporary state of mind? Hence, the very act of collective remembering itself has gained relevance – as has the question of how contemporary ways of remembering can manifest themselves in new forms. With both a transnational perspective and focus on the city of Munich, the forum will seek to critically debate the very act of collective remembering itself. Engaging with a diverse range of artists, especially those focused on transdisciplinary artistic forms, as well as thinkers, philosophers, and activists whose research and practice is devoted to the historical dimension of the contemporary moment.