7 Books Remembering Okwui Enwezor, the First Black Curator of Global Fame

Okwui Enwezor, the first Black curator of worldwide renown, died 15 months ago. This article lists seven key books he wrote or edited, plus a tribute. Enwezor's work challenged Eurocentrism in art history. His volume 'The Short Century' (2001) examines African cultural life from WWII to the end of Apartheid, accompanying a show that traveled from Museum Villa Stuck in Munich to MoMA PS1 in New York. As director of Documenta11 in 2002 at age 39, he led a team including Ute Meta Bauer, Carlos Basualdo, Sarat Maharaj, Mark Nash, and Angelika Nollert, creating what many consider the most post-colonial edition. 'Archive Fever' (2008), stemming from a show at the International Center of Photography in New York, explored archival practices in photography. With Chika Okeke-Agulu, he co-authored 'Contemporary African Art Since 1980' (2009), covering over 200 African artists. 'Rise and Fall of Apartheid' (2013), co-edited with Rory Bester, accompanied a show at Haus der Kunst in Munich and later at PAC Milan, documenting apartheid's impact through photography. For the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015, titled 'All the World's Futures', he curated a groundbreaking exhibition designed by architect David Adjaye. The article also includes a tribute by Hito Steyerl, Coco Fusco, Raqs Media Collective, and others, published in e-flux journal.