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- Boxed in: contemporary African art
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- Sarah Elzas
The term "contemporary African art" has been used by gallery owners, curators and collectors in Europe since the 1960s and '70s. As a term to sum up the artistic output of an entire continent, it's problematic. Artists don't always want to be defined just by their continent of origin (or by the origin of their ancestors). At best it's reductive, at worst it's racist. I spent time with several Paris-based artists to find out what the concept means to them.
(Image: Girl #94100, part of Mirrors of Black Paradise by Wilfred Ukpong)
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Piece Description
The term "contemporary African art" has been used by gallery owners, curators and collectors in Europe since the 1960s and '70s. As a term to sum up the artistic output of an entire continent, it's problematic. Artists don't always want to be defined just by their continent of origin (or by the origin of their ancestors). At best it's reductive, at worst it's racist. I spent time with several Paris-based artists to find out what the concept means to them. (Image: Girl #94100, part of Mirrors of Black Paradise by Wilfred Ukpong)
Broadcast History
A long version of this piece aired on Radio France International's English service on December 26, 2006.
Transcript
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Contemporary Artists from Africa or with roots in Africa are often labeled as "African" artists, even if what their art has nothing specifically to do with where they come from. Sarah Elzas met some of them in Paris, and has this look into the problems of using one term to sum up the artistic output of an entire continent:
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Just by its name, you can tell that the Musee des Arts Derniers in Paris is out to make a statement. The name is translated as the museum of ?last arts??it?s a play on the concept of ?art premiers? or primitive art, which has been the usual way to describe African art in France until recently. The gallery shows a mix of French and foreign artists, though the focus is on artists from Africa or with African roots? in other words, on ?African contemporary art?
> GALLERY AMBI
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Luz Medina
Posted on October 12, 2008 at 08:05 PM | Permalink
Review of Boxed in: contemporary African art
This is a very educational piece that talks about, Contemporary African art. There is an exposition in a gallery in Paris that gives an opportunity to contemporary artist with African roots to expose their work. This piece also explains how the art from artists with African root are not seen as a contemporary art