Contemporary African Artists Reinterpret Dante's Divine Comedy at Frankfurt Museum

In 2014, the Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt hosted 'The Divine Comedy: Heaven, Hell, Purgatory Revisited by Contemporary African Artists,' curated by Simon Njami. This exhibition showcased around 50 African artists and drew inspiration from Dante Alighieri's poem. It was organized into three parts—Paradise, Purgatory, and Hell—spanning three floors. Featured pieces included 'Frontier with Church' (2012–14) by Jane Alexander, 'Silence' (2008) by Zoulikha Bouabdellah, and 'Repair Analysis' (2013) by Kader Attia. The accompanying publication featured Achille Mbembe's essay 'Requiem for the Slave,' which addressed the absence of hell, purgatory, and paradise in African thought. Njami highlighted the exhibition's aim to provoke intellectual exploration of the afterlife beyond regional identities.