Africa

Booksreview

The liberated lens: a chronicle of African cinema and photography

A new book celebrates the pioneering artists who took control of the post-colonial agenda

Lisbon exhibition seeks to highlight ‘the reality of the African diaspora’ while looking to the future

Works by April Bey, Gabriel Massan and others will highlight the creative possibilities that come from the sharing of ideas between different African cultures and others across the world

New encyclopaedia makes Africa’s distant past relevant to today and tomorrow

Project aims to help seasoned researchers unlearn biases and the next generation of archaeologists to find inspiration

‘Shining a light on the blind spots’: new book seeks to provide clearer picture of Mau Mau uprising

Max Pinckers worked together with Kenyan war veterans to bring records of 1950s colonial violence to the fore

The confident new face of Benin is on show in Venice

The restitution of artefacts from France in 2022 has energised Benin’s cultural and heritage sector, as is clear from the country’s four-artist presentation at the Biennale

Benin Republic turns to culture to spur economic growth

Four new museums across the country are planned over the next five years and a new cultural quarter is under construction in the biggest city, Cotonou

First gallery show dedicated to Ghanaian photography pioneer will display previously unseen works capturing life under colonial rule

The photos are part of a 50,000-strong archive being preserved by the artist J.K. Bruce-Vanderpuije's granddaughter

The Big Review: Africa & Byzantium at Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York ★★★★☆

An array of artefacts show how cultural cross-pollination thrived across centuries and continents under Byzantine rule

Africa rising: the TV show capturing a continent of creativity

Plus, the Liverpool Biennial, and Basquiat in Basel with Jeffrey Deitch

Hosted by Ben Luke. With guest speaker Louisa Buck. Produced by David. Clack, Aimee Dawson and Julia Michalska
Sponsored byChristie's
Restitutionanalysis

King Charles’s ethical dilemma over looted objects in the Royal Collection

The monarch will likely face calls for the return of priceless objects that were seized by British military forces during 19th-century operations

Is Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, Africa’s newest art hub?

The urban centre of the world's oldest island is home to an exploding contemporary art scene, with art collector Hassanein Hiridjee's Fondation H the latest major art centre to open its doors

Artist condemns anti-LGBTQ laws passed by Ugandan parliament including death penalty

Leilah Babirye—who fled to the US in 2015—slams legislation which also introduces sentences of up to 20 years for "the offence of homosexuality"

In Burkina Faso and Mali, pilot scheme builds defences against illegal trafficking of cultural antiquities

Icom and Aliph’s $250,000 project is providing training and security measures for 22 museums in countries ravaged by war

After a landmark election, will Nigeria now invest in its museums?

Nigeria’s art market has exploded in recent years—a newly elected government may now fund and build a museum sector

Nigeria’s pivotal election: what's the future of art and culture in the country?

Plus, the Met: a guard’s memoir and Hubert Robert at Stockholm's Nationalmuseum

Hosted by Ben Luke. Produced by David Clack and Aimee Dawson
Sponsored byChristie's

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair returns to Marrakech after two-year hiatus

The number of galleries from Africa has more than halved since 2020, but sales were steady among the 12 new exhibitors

Why are so many African art fairs dominated by non-African dealers?

Comparing the homegrown Art X Lagos to more global events like 1-54 brings up tough questions about race that the art world still struggles to answer

‘The Benin Bronzes are returning home’: Germany and Nigeria sign historic restitution agreement

More than 1,100 looted items will be transferred though some artefacts will remain on loan to German museums

Berlin announces several restitution agreements with Namibia, Cameroon and Nigeria

Berlin Biennale conference will focus on "decolonising" arts and culture

Duncan Ballantyne-Way. With additional reporting by Gareth Harris

With booths full of childhood memories, two African galleries make their mark at Art Basel

Their debut in the Statements section reflects the strong growth in the contemporary African art sector

What has happened to France’s grand plans to return Africa's heritage?

Five years ago President Macron took the museum world by surprise when he announced a then-revolutionary restitution plan. Now the country’s politicians are at odds about how to implement it

Washington's National Gallery of Art surveys five centuries of African influence on Western art

Spanning art from 17th century to today, the show aims to explore the complex and compelling histories and cultural legacy of the African diaspora

Art marketinterview

'We have never catered to an exotic idea of what art from Africa is about': Tiwani Contemporary to launch gallery in Lagos as it celebrates ten years in business

Maria Varnava, the founder of the London gallery which specialises in artists from Africa and the diaspora, on opening a gallery on the continent where she grew up and why she is wary of speculators

Art marketinterview

Abuja, Miami, Seoul: gallery director Dolly Kola-Balogun maps out her path to African art’s world domination

The 27-year-old founder of Retro Africa talks about her expansion plans and how she is helping to build a contemporary art scene in Nigeria

Germany launches African museum exchange programme to discuss returning looted objects

New government initiative MuseumsLab aims to foster more international co-operation and consider topics including decolonisation and restitution

Restitutioninterview

Why African voices are crucial to the debate over the return of colonial loot

Senegalese art historian El Hadji Malick Ndiaye says discussions and decisions about the restitution of African artefacts cannot be dictated by the West

Africaanalysis

'Restitution is important but it is not essential': the African museums building a homegrown cultural revival

Though African institutions want looted artefacts to return home, they are more preoccupied with promoting living artists and treasures

Podcastspodcast

Is the future of museums in Africa?

We speak to museum experts András Szántó and Sonia Lawson. Plus, Dan Hicks on the legacy of colonial looting and National Gallery curator Christopher Riopelle on the Polish painter Jan Matejko

Hosted by Ben Luke. Produced by Julia Michalska, David Clack and Aimee Dawson
Art marketanalysis

Africa’s art market grows even amid adversity

In a year marked by closures, cancellations and postponements, African art fairs are going ahead with new models and the continent’s galleries are growing