MoMA exhibition explores African portraiture's political imagination from mid-20th century to present

From December 14, 2025, to July 26, 2026, the Museum of Modern Art in New York will host 'Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination,' curated by Oluremi C. Onabanjo. This exhibition examines the role of photographic portraiture in shaping identity and political awareness in Africa and its diaspora amid decolonial shifts. Notable photographers such as Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé, and Jean Depara are featured, alongside transnational narratives from James Barnor and Kwame Brathwaite. Contemporary contributions on identity and memory come from artists like Samuel Fosso, Silvia Rosi, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby. Archival pieces from the Air Afrique collective further illustrate Pan-Africanist themes, while the exhibition critiques simplistic narratives, positioning photography as both a witness and a driving force during Africa's independence movement.