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An important investigation of the complicated relationship between canonical African art and the practices of contemporary African artists Recognizing the second lives of historical African artworks when they enter museum collections and addressing them in dialogue with the works of six established and emerging African artists, this book represents how today's practitioners are reformulating the continent's artistic traditions to respond to the contemporary landscape. Historically, African art objects such as masks and sculptures were composed of a matrix of materials that included medicine bundles, raffia assemblage, hides, and metal, some or all of which were repurposed: a "second career" ...
In recent years Africa's booming art scene has gained substantial global attention, with a growing number of international exhibitions and a stronger-than-ever presence on the art market worldwide. Here, for the first time, is the most substantial survey to date of modern and contemporary African-born or Africa-based artists. Working with a panel of experts, this volume builds on the success of Phaidon's bestselling Great Women Artists in re-writing a more inclusive and diverse version of art history.
Since its founding in 1929, The Museum of Modern Art in New York has brought the history of modern and contemporary art to vivid life through its extraordinary holdings. MoMA Masterpieces provides a fresh look at the Museum's exceptional collection as it stands today. Ann Temkin's introduction addresses the historical construction of the Museum's collection and explores the shifting issues that have guided its acquisitions, while the thoughtful selection of reproduced works highlights the range of artworks and ideas that constitute the evolving foundation of the Museum's collection. With 126 years spanning the distance between the works on the first and last pages of this book, MoMA Masterpieces offers an unparalleled opportunity to immerse oneself in the multitude of artistic approaches encompassed under the banner of modern art.
What can an art biennale in Dakar, Senegal, tell us about current discourses surrounding the place of art in the world, and in the academic study of anthropology? This volume investigates the Dak'Art biennale, ranked among the world's top 20 biennials, drawing upon fieldwork, archival research, and the experiences of those involved. In so doing, the chapters make a statement about the impact of globally-acting art biennials, contributing to current scholarship both on biennales and the anthropology of art scene more widely. Part I opens with the history of its foundation and considers it in conjunction with the rise of contemporary art in Senegal. Part II deals with the biennale's various ob...
A first-ever monograph featuring the work of the Ethiopian artist Elias Sime, who brilliantly explores the impact of life in a post-consumerist world. Sime's brightly-colored sculptural tableaus feature found objects including thread, buttons, electrical wires, and computer detritus. This book highlights the artist's work from the last decade, much of which comprises the series entitled "Tightrope." Repurposing salvaged electronic components, such as circuits and keyboards, Sime incorporates the refuse that are the byproducts of technological advancement, and points to the urgency of sustainability. The resulting abstractions reference landscape and the figure as well as traditional Ethiopian textiles. "Tightrope" refers to the precarious balance between the progress technology has made possible and its detrimental impact on the environment. Published with the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art
Among Others: Blackness at MoMA begins with an essay that provides a rigorous and in-depth analysis of MoMA's history regarding racial issues. It also calls for further developments, leaving space for other scholars to draw on particular moments of that history. It takes an integrated approach to the study of racial blackness and its representation: the book stresses inclusion and, as such, the plate section, rather than isolating black artists, features works by non-black artists dealing with race and race- related subjects. As a collection book, the volume provides scholars and curators with information about the Museum's holdings, at times disclosing works that have been little documented or exhibited. The numerous and high-quality illustrations will appeal to anyone interested in art made by black artists, or in modern art in general.
Analyzing the confluence between coloniality and activist art, Art Activism for an Anticolonial Future argues that there is much to gain from approaching contemporary politically committed art practices from the angle of anticolonial, postcolonial, and decolonial struggles. These struggles inspired a vast yet underexplored set of ideas about art and cultural practices and did so decades before the acceptance of radical artistic practices by mainstream art institutions. Carlos Garrido Castellano argues that art activism has been confined to a limited spatial and temporal framework—that of Western culture and the modernist avant-garde. Assumptions about the individual creator and the belated...
ncarNations is at once a mix and exchange between classical and contemporary art from Africa and its diasporas, looking at African art as a living philosophical practice. The masks, images and historic objects act as milestones, anchoring contemporary works in the ancient context of live creation. Taken from Sindika Dokolo's collection, the works of African artists enter into dialogue with those of the diaspora while contemporary works are presented alongside classical works. Artists: Sammy Baloji, William Kentridge, Tracey Rose, Wangechi Mutu, Otobong Nkanga, Yinka Shonibare, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Ana Mendieta, Kehinde Wiley, Andres Serrano, Aida Muluneh, Mwangi Hutter, Hank Willis Thomas, Tracey Rose, Adrian Piper, Lubaina Himid, Roger Ballen, Zanele Muholi, Phyllis Galembo.
-Showcases paintings by innovative Congolese artists from Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, Bunia, Mbandaka, Kikwit and Kisangani -Explores the concept of painting as visual memory Painting was one of the defining factors in the formation of Congolese national culture during the seventies and eighties. Looking back on works from this era, we gain a clear impression of the country's collective memory. The exhibition of paintings featured in this book explores the development of Congolese society from 1968-2012. Portraits, landscapes and allegorical paintings alternate with urban scenes, historical figures and critical reflections on religion, politics and social problems. Humor is never far away. Historical objects, photos, drawings and archive footage provide a broader perspective, and similarities to older art forms and other genres from Congo are clearly visible. The importance of popular paintings is not fundamentally different from that of more traditionally respected art; both are crucial reflections on their contexts, and informed the development of Congolese society.
In the 1990s, a new wave of globalization changed the field of cultural production in many African countries and paved the way for major new cultural events. In particular, during the last two decades, an ever growing series of art and cultural centers were and still are being established - often against the background of broader national (art) histories and the historic prominence of the state as the primary patron of the arts. In considering the historical genealogy of these 'new spaces, ' this book examines: the infrastructures and public spaces they create, the theoretical discourses they tap into and explore, the aesthetic and (cultural) political debates they stir, the role they play in the field of cultural institutions and cultural activism, and their relations with state and municipal institutions. (Series: African Art and Visual Cultures - Vol. 2) [Subject: African Studies, Cultural Studies, Art