The growing presence of contemporary art from Africa enlivens Miami Beach
Headed from all four corners of the continent, African and African diasporic galleries are increasingly taking the spotlight and bringing vital dialogue
By Claire Breukel Nov 8, 2024
‘Africa has always been and continues to be a major catalyst for incredible ideas around art and aesthetics,’ elucidates Koyo Kouoh, Zeitz MOCAA executive director and chief curator. ‘Joining creative practices by artists in Africa with that of its vast diaspora traces important dialogues of past and present.’
Historically, USA-based Black diaspora artists went unrecognized and accessing creative practices outside the USA was reserved for adventurous travelers. As collectors’ curiosity broadens, so too does comprehension and appreciation of creative practices from and about Africa. Compatibly, Art Basel Miami Beach Week sees increased African and African diasporic participation. For its third annual celebration, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) and its American Friends affiliate join forces with the celebrated USA nonprofit Black Trustee Alliance for Art Museums (BTA) to host more than 200 artists and patrons at The Miami Beach EDITION. Opa-Locka’s Ten North Group presents its annual program surveying Black creativity, and Art Basel Miami Beach features five Africa-founded galleries.
‘We’re finally in an era where the art world is embracing dialogue between Black artists across the diaspora,’ shares Diane Jean-Mary, BTA executive director.
Art Basel Miami Beach’s Africa-originated exhibitors include Afriart Gallery (AAG), founded by Daudi Karungi in Kampala, Uganda, in 2002, representing renowned Tanzania-born artist Sungi Mlengeya among many celebrated African creatives. In 2013, curator Aleya Hamza opened Gypsum Gallery in Cairo, Egypt. In the show’s Positions sector, she presents ‘Today in History,’ a project by Egyptian, Amsterdam-based artist Dina Danish, whose hand-stitched tapestries satirically mimic medieval banners while depicting contemporary media imagery. Adenrele Sonariwo began Rele Gallery in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2015, showing global talents such as Gladys Kalichini and Tonia Nneji and opening satellites in Los Angeles and London. Cape Town, South Africa-based Smac Art Gallery returns to Art Basel Miami Beach for a third year with a Positions presentation of new multidisciplinary work by South African maven of materiality Simphiwe Buthelezi. The long-established Goodman Gallery boasts locations in Cape Town, Johannesburg, London and New York. For the fair, celebrated South African artist William Kentridge and Ghanaian artist El Anatsui are featured alongside Brazilian artist Laura Lima and Canadian, Paris-based academic and artist Kapwani Kiwanga.
Spearheading local representation, Ten North Group’s visionary Willie Logan leads Opa-Locka’s annual Art of Transformation program, themed ‘Black Aliveness and an Aesthetics of Being,’ from December 4 to 8 at venues throughout Opa Locka. Featuring exhibitions linking works by African, Caribbean and diaspora writers with contemporary artists and conversations centered on international Black creative practices – Opa-Locka is an essential experience for locals and visitors alike.
Credits and captions
This article was originally commissioned for the 2024 issue of the Art Basel Miami Beach Magazine.
Art Basel Miami Beach will take place from December 6 to 8, 2024. Learn more here.
Claire Breukel is a South-African-born curator and writer based between Cape Town and Miami. She also heads Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa’s international patron program including American Friends of Zeitz MOCAA.
Caption for header image: Detail of an artwork by Sanaa Gateja presented by Afriart Gallery in the Nova sector of Art Basel Miami Beach 2023.
Published on November 8, 2024.
