Project a Black Planet at the Barbican: North Africa's Ambiguous Place in Pan-Africanism
Until 6 September, the Barbican Art Gallery in London presents 'Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica', curated by Antawan I Byrd, Adom Getachew, Elvira Dyangani Ose, and Matthew S Witkovsky. This exhibition showcases over 300 pieces created from the 1920s to the present, illustrating the impact of Pan-Africanism across diverse areas. While it includes artists from North Africa, such as Inji Efflatoun and Kader Attia, it largely omits discussions on Arab identity in Africa. Featured works include El Gazzar's 'Two People in Space Outfits' and Belkahia's 'Cuba Si'. An essay by Sophia Azeb in the exhibition book explores these complexities, while the exhibition's perspective on Panafrica's borders is deemed radical.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica' at Barbican Art Gallery, London, runs until 6 September.
- Curated by Antawan I Byrd, Adom Getachew, Elvira Dyangani Ose, and Matthew S Witkovsky.
- Over 300 works from the 1920s to the present, including paintings, sculpture, film, posters, journals, and pamphlets.
- Includes North African artists: Inji Efflatoun, Abdel Hadi El Gazzar, Fatma Arargi, Gazbia Sirry, Omar El Nagdi, Farid Belkahia, Ahmed Cherkaoui, Mohamed Melehi, Kader Attia, Yto Barrada, and Moataz Nasr.
- Wall texts do not explicitly address Arabness within Africa or Pan-Arabism vs. Pan-Africanism.
- Highlights include El Gazzar's 'Two People in Space Outfits', Belkahia's 'Cuba Si', and Sirry's 'Portrait of a Nubian Family'.
- Exhibition book includes essay by Sophia Azeb 'Mapping the 'Arab' in Pan-African Political Cultures'.
- Exhibition features archival material including a text by Fatah.
- The show includes works by Wifredo Lam and David Hammons.
- The 1969 Pan-African Festival of Algiers is referenced, with William Klein's documentary screening.
Entities
Artists
- Inji Efflatoun
- Abdel Hadi El Gazzar
- Fatma Arargi
- Gazbia Sirry
- Omar El Nagdi
- Farid Belkahia
- Ahmed Cherkaoui
- Mohamed Melehi
- Kader Attia
- Yto Barrada
- Moataz Nasr
- Ibrahim El-Salahi
- Wifredo Lam
- David Hammons
- William Klein
- Ted Joans
- Sun Ra
- Gamal Abdel Nasser
- Kwame Nkrumah
- Patrice Lumumba
- Elvira Dyangani Ose
- Adom Getachew
- Brent Hayes Edwards
- Franklin Rosemont
- Robin D.G. Kelley
- Elizabeth Harney
- Léopold Sédar Senghor
- Okwui Enwezor
- Chinua Achebe
- Martino Stireli
- Ikem Stanley Okoye
- Mallory Cohen
- Simone Leigh
- Chris Ofili
- William Kentridge
- Magdalene Odundo
- Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
- Marlene Dumas
- Claudette Johnson
Institutions
- Barbican Art Gallery
- Casablanca Art School
- Organisation of African Unity
- Ministry of Culture (Egypt)
- Khartoum School
- Madrasat al-Ghaba wa al-Sahra
- Fatah
- Canvas
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (Macba)
- Kanal-Centre Pompidou
- University of Chicago
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Barbican
- Barbican Centre
- MACBA
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Egypt
- Morocco
- Algeria
- Casablanca
- Cairo
- Prague
- Havana
- Khartoum
- Sudan
- Tahrir Square
- Aswan High Dam
- Nubia
- Algiers
- Chicago
- United States
- Barcelona
- Spain
- Brussels
- Belgium
- New York
- Africa
- Caribbean
- Brazil
- Americas
- Europe