Image corresponding to the home of the artist Franco-Congolese Taali M
Africa has had a long history of overcoming standards and rules imposed by other countries. For so long the people of Africa were beholden to cultures and values that weren’t theirs. Now that the tide of colonialism is finally receding, Africa is free once more to truly be itself in every form of expression, including art.
African artists are recreating tradition in a new way; using their history to create a new future that is entirely their own. They use their works to speak on issues that affect not only them, but the rest of the world. Things like pollution, violence, and oppression are common themes among artists, but the contemporary art of Africa brings a perspective that the rest of the world has thus far been looking past.
The exhibit is divided into four distinct sections that all carry their own meaning: Prologue, I and We, Space and Object, and Origin and Future. Moving through the exhibit gives the audience an idea of what contemporary African art really means for the artists themselves and the world of art as a whole.
Prologue begins a discussion of how the rest of the world has viewed Africa for so very long. There are some extremely racist depictions of African people as viewed by the Western world, and it raises questions about the legitimacy and efficacy of white American aspiring saviours that are “helping” African communities by buying a certain brand of product. This section of the exposition makes us question many things, like what prejudices or preconceptions that we might still have and how we might begin to consciously change those. Art has a lot to do with how an artist views themselves, and this part of the exhibition really opens a dialogue between opposing viewpoints.
The next section, I and We, deals a lot with how an individual expresses themselves within terms of their own identity and that of their community. Art and design provide tools for people to express desires and ideas to the world. Art lets people communicate developments in culture and thought while reflecting on what those developments mean for the future.
The Space and Object part of the Making Africa exhibit expresses ideas about the relationship between individuals and their environment. Artists take inspiration from the landscape around them and the problems that they face on a daily basis. Technological development and materials artists have access to change the way they create art and the form that that art takes. It has been said that people are a product of their environment, and that can certainly be said about art.
Origin and Future, the final section of the exhibit, is probably the most inspiring. It takes a deep look at the roots of African traditions and colonial influences that have changed those traditions. Using art and artifact, this section strives to see through the history of invasion and imposed rule to a brighter future for all African nations. Art is immeasurably important as a cultural tool to this end. African artists are shaking off colonial bonds and reinventing what it means to be African through their art.
Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona exhibition Making Africa until August 28.