Exhibitions

Parallel Passages: Typologies is still on view at Kokopelli Gallery in Lagos, Nigeria until December 30, 2023

Parallel Passages: Typologies is set to create a significant impact by delving into the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria. This groundbreaking exhibition brings together seven indigenous Nigerian artists who will present their unique perspectives on tradition, symbolism, and contemporary issues. The exhibition promises to inspire contemplation, dialogue, and empathy among the visitors. In art history, there are always recurring themes and patterns as artists inspire other generations of artists, and the issues which artists represent in their works still persist. In this exhibition, the artists explore diverse narratives using texts, paintings and mixed media works to depict typology in our society, creating a space for viewers to interpret the work and evoke thought-provoking dialogue.

Dig Where You Stand is still on view at Palais de Lomé in Lomé, Togo until December 31, 2023

After its inaugural edition held in 2022 in Accra, Ghana, the travelling exhibition Dig Where You Stand will take place in Lomé, Togo. Entitled “From Coast to Coast: Seke”, this edition will explore the regenerative potential of art in Africa and its diasporas using art as a restorative medium to investigate the impact of colonial systems in coastal cities, and develop new ways of addressing decolonization, restitution, and repatriation. It will showcase over 166 artworks of African artists with unconventional perspectives in various mediums including painting, photography, video, sculpture, and installation. To broaden accessibility, mobile photo exhibitions, film screenings, and workshops will take place beyond the Palais de Lomé. These initiatives will bring replicas of the exhibition to rural areas, engaging students and teachers in workshops and presenting case studies for inspiration.

Tyler Mitchell: Domestic Imaginaries is still on view at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, United States until December 31, 2023

In his most ambitious exhibition to date, Tyler Mitchell displays photographs innovatively printed on textiles in an immersive, laundry line installation alongside new altar sculptures. Strung from a zig-zagging clothesline, Threads of Memory is Mitchell’s latest iteration of the iconic form, stretching nearly 300 feet along the unique gallery space and framing its historic 1850s Savannah Gray brick archways. The hanging textile prints depict pastoral scenes and Black bodies, drawing inspiration from Gordon Parks’ photography and the landscape of the southeastern U.S., where Mitchell was born and raised. Complementing this dramatic and enveloping experience, his sculptures reference historic domestic objects with subtle alterations and embedded photographs, which evoke memory and belonging in ways that are deeply personal. The exhibition’s poetic nature articulates a sensitivity and attentiveness to the quieter moments of life and the potential for beauty and transformation in things that may otherwise seem ordinary. Combining installation, sculpture, and photography, the artist invites us to consider our own relationship to the image, our environments, and each other.

Art Fairs

Africa Foto Fair is still open at Aida Muluneh Studio, Abidjan, Ivory Coast until December 17, 2023

The First edition of Africa Foto Fair, at the MuCat, welcomed over 7,000 visitors, with the majority hailing from Abobo. This illustrated that the transformative power of creativity, art and culture should be accessible to all. I firmly believe that these tools of art and culture have the potential to ignite change, enabling us to better comprehend the world and ourselves. Hence, the launching of this Second edition is a continuation of the primary objective: bringing the art of photography to those who might not have access. The second goal is to support MuCat as a place where the people of the city can unite. With such engagement one can make a meaningful impact, building a stronger and resilient community and youth. The power of photography is a potent instrument for inspiration, education, and a catalyst for meaningful change.

Conferences

Colorful Threads: The Interwoven Worlds of Art and Culture in the Western Indian Ocean will be hosted by The Africa Institute in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates from December 14-16, 2023

This forum will bring scholars from various academic disciplines and geographical locations to ponder what Pierre Bourdieu made clear in his distinctions as both symbolic and cultural capital. Our focus on rethinking the archipelago will improve our understanding of the fine-grained nuances of human relations. The vantage points of anthropology, history, art, architecture, museum studies, ethnographies of rituals, music, and dance as conceived within disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and practice will be engaged fully in presentations, symposia, and publications. The season is part of its annual Country-focused Season themed, “Thinking the Archipelago: Africa’s Indian Ocean Islands” convened by The Africa Institute in collaboration with leading scholars.