Afterall Examines Curatorial Frameworks of 'Global Contemporary Art'

The research initiative 'Curating global contemporary art' by Afterall investigates how contemporary art exhibitions have influenced perceptions of the 'global' and the 'located' throughout various contexts and eras. It examines pivotal exhibitions such as the Third Havana Biennial (1989), 'Magiciens de la Terre' (1989), the 24th Bienal de São Paulo (1998), FESTAC '77, and exhibitions in Shanghai (2000). The 1989 Third Havana Biennial expanded the global landscape of contemporary art and redefined the biennial format. 'Magiciens de la Terre' featured over a hundred artists, half of whom were non-Western, challenging the Western-centric art narrative. The 1998 São Paulo Biennial reinterpreted art history through a Brazilian lens, promoting 'contamination' of the canon. FESTAC '77 brought together thousands from Africa and the diaspora, while Shanghai's 2000 events raised critical questions about modernity and nationalism. This project is part of Afterall's Exhibition Histories Series, featuring essays by Lucy Steeds, David Morris, Charles Esche, Bo Choy, Anthony Gardner, and Serubiri Moses.