Lusaka Contemporary Art Center Opens in Zambia with Decolonial Mission

The Lusaka Contemporary Art Center (LCAC) will open on January 3, 2023, in Lusaka, Zambia. Founded by artist Victor Mutelekesha, the center aims to address the lack of state investment in culture and to decolonize the art scene. LCAC includes a library, residency, and gallery within a single hybrid building. It will focus on research into Zambian arts, customs, and cultures, acting as a decolonization agency. The inaugural exhibition will be archival, exploring the birth of the nation, and will feature young Zambian artists. The center also plans to influence art education curricula from primary to university level. Mutelekesha emphasizes the need for a defined cultural foundation to counter neocolonial influences. He highlights the work of Zambian women artists such as Gladys Kalichini, Sana Ginwalla, and Anawana Haloba. LCAC seeks strategic collaborations with international institutions. The center has planted local fruit trees and shrubs on its grounds, aiming to create a living sculpture that offsets carbon emissions.