Exhibitions

Abandoned Margins: Policing the Black Female Body is still on view at the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, United States until February 25, 2016.

Woman Made Gallery is exhibiting a group show that challenges the supremacist systems under which black female bodies are marginalized and lack agency. The exhibition explores the projected images and perceptions of black women in American culture and the paradox of being simultaneously fetishized and considered undesirable. Images of black women in American popular culture and public discourse frequently represent them stereotypically as overweight and asexual or hypersexualized and in need of less protection, but more policing for moral failures. Through the exhibition, the featured artists reflect on the concepts of Western beauty standards, cultural identity, and representation using multimedia, installations, sculpture, film, printmaking, and photography.

Addis Calling is still on view at the AFA – Addis Fine Art in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia until February 12, 2016.

Addis Fine Art announces the official launch of its new gallery space with the inaugural exhibition Addis Calling. Addis Calling celebrates the breadth and depth of artistic practice in Ethiopia through the presentation of works by seven contemporary artists who live and work in the capital. The exhibition, a vibrant mix of painting, photography and mixed media, reflects the dynamic artistic activity in Addis Ababa today. Addis Fine Art aims to represent established and emerging international artists primarily from Ethiopia and the Diaspora. The gallery strives to promote the work of Ethiopian artists on a global stage, increasing their visibility and inscribing their practice within the global language of cultural production.

Biennials

Not New Now is the central theme of the 6th Marrakech Biennale that will open from February 24 to May 8, 2016.

Founded in 2004 to address social issues through the arts, the Marrakech Biennale seeks to promote the status of the artist and contemporary culture in North Africa and to boost the regional creative scene, enabling discussions with and between artists. The biennale features a thriving interdisciplinary art program focusing on cutting-edge contemporary art, literature and film. For the first time, the 6th edition of the biennale will present its program in public spaces and free of charge, in an effort to welcome a wider public and reinforce the biennale's connection to Marrakech's urban historical landscape. The biennale will also be in view for the first time over a prolonged period of 11 weeks. Each week, the biennale will present a diverse program of artist talks, performances, and symposiums.

Art Fairs

Cape Town Art Fair will open at the CTICC – Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa from February 19 to 21, 2016.

The 4th edition of the Cape Town Art Fair will present works by established and emerging artists in a range of traditional media including paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Exclusive works will also be on sale from a number of participating galleries, and the exhibition will be complemented by a programme of performances and talks. Around fifty galleries from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Italy, the United Kingdom, and more, will be represented. The fair coincides with Art Week Cape Town which shines a spotlight on the vibrant contemporary art scene in Cape Town. The Art Week Cape Town programme of events will begin in the week leading up to the Cape Town Art Fair and end the following week with Iziko Museums’ Open Museums Night.

Conference

Design Indaba Conference will run at the Artscape in Cape Town, South Africa from February 17 to 19, 2016.

Taking place at the Artscape and a few subsidiary venues, the multidisciplinary experience which includes a conference, a film festival, and an exhibition looks to get the creative juices flowing in Cape Town. Launched in 1995, Design Indaba was inspired by a need to overcome societal issues and was driven forward by the goal of promoting design as a basic form of communication, a business requirement, and a formidable tool in industry and commerce. This year, the organisers have decided to put the expo in its current format on hold whilst they decide how best to expand it to include other creatives across the country and not just in Cape Town. The idea is to re-examine the expo to enable it to become more inclusive, fresher and even more creatively inspiring.