Exhibitions

Josèfa Ntjam: swell of spæc(i)es is still on view at Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia in Venice, Italy until November 24, 2024

swell of spæc(i)es will unfold a new creation myth shaped by ancient and emergent ways of conceiving the universe. Within this imaginary, plankton is a point of convergence between the deep ocean and outer space, biological and mythical realms, possible pasts and alternative futures. Visitors to the exhibition will encounter an otherworldly environment populated by sonic sculptures and a new film scored by Fatima al Qadiri, which will be displayed on a curved LED wall. In Venice she will focus on plankton as an agent of alchemical transformation in recounting the story of Amma, a Dogon deity that created the stars by launching pellets of the earth into the sky, and Nommos, the first creatures to live underwater. Ntjam draws parallels between the Dogon cosmogony and a recent discovery which found limestone in the debris of a former planet orbiting a white dwarf.

Tyler Mitchell: Idyllic Space is still on view at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, United States until December 1, 2024

Tyler Mitchell is an American photographer and filmmaker renowned for his tender and innovative portrayals that center Black self-determination and empowerment through scenes of love, leisure, and camaraderie. Mitchell rose to global prominence in 2018 when he photographed Beyoncé for the September issue of Vogue as the first Black artist to shoot the cover in the magazine’s then 126-year history. He explores style, beauty, and identity through playfully theatrical, expressive photographs that seamlessly blend his fashion and conceptual work. Drawing inspiration from the landscapes, homes, and communities of suburban Atlanta where he was raised, this homecoming exhibition features work made from 2017 to 2024 and considers Mitchell’s exploration of themes such as family lineage, play, companionship, the natural world, and domestic spaces. His lens captures the essence of relationships, weaving an intimate narrative of shared experiences.

Dig Where You Stand is still on view at Fondation Zinsou Musée in Ouidah, Benin until December 1, 2024

Creativity and imagination, which are essential for a society to envision its future and make progress, have been neglected or suppressed in West Africa and its diaspora. As a result, people in these regions have struggled to use their own history and culture to shape their evolution. Committed to showcasing art as a means to forge new, restorative narratives, this edition of Dig Where You Stand will showcase artists, whose practices reflect a modern, self-directed vision of Africa’s culture, reconnecting with their roots through their own experiences and histories. Taking place in various cultural spaces in Ouidah and Cotonou, the exhibition will showcase artworks by returning artists from previous editions including Zanele Muholi, and Joana Choumali, as well as new participating artists, such as Beninese artists Charbel Coffi and Roméo Mivekannin and American multimedia artist Bayeté Ross Smith.

Biennials

15th Dakar Biennale will open at various locations in Dakar, Senegal from November 7 to December 7, 2024

Fewer than three weeks before the scheduled opening of the 15th Dakar Biennale, election-related turbulence prompted the biennial’s general secretariat to postpone the event from May to November. In this edition, the biennial is returning around the theme of “The Wake, l’Eveil, le Sillage, Xàll wi”, under the artistic direction of Salimata Diop, art critic and curator. In an immersive journey, carried by an intimate, powerful and serious scenography, visitors will discover the works of 58 artists from Africa and the diaspora. The artistic selection of this edition illustrates the extraordinary African creativity with a variety of mediums, techniques and artistic worlds. From illustration art to virtual reality, from sound design to sculpture and photography, the selection process was guided by a commitment to inclusion, in search of a balance that transcends the boundaries of matter, expression and thought.

14th Bamako Encounters will open at various locations in Bamako, Mali from November 16, 2024 to January 15, 2025

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the biennial organized around the theme of Kuma, which means the speech. Photography has the power to make an image speak, to convey emotions, ideas and messages. A picture can tell a thousand stories, transmit emotions, ideas and messages through the sheer force of the moment captured, by the framing, the light or the staging. Photographers have the power to make an image speak thanks to this genius. Photography speaks when bringing the past to life. For all eternity, it remains the memory of a moment, an era, a gesture, and the witness of a present that is conjugated with the future. The 14th Bamako Encounters invites artists to explore new forms, experiment with dialogues in between word and image, and give visual existence to moments of speech, eloquence, anger, hope, recollection, silence, cacophony and noise.