Venice Biennale: African Art in Venice Forum

Strauss & Co is a proud sponsor of the the African Art in Venice Forum. The African Art in Venice Forum (AAVF) is a public and free discursive platform presented every two years in Venice, Italy during the opening week of the Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte di Venezia. The event provides new opportunities to discover, learn, discuss, explore, and exchange topics and projects related to contemporary art from Africa and its diasporas.

8:30 am 
Opening Breakfast by Strauss & Co (RSVP) 

10:00 am 
Opening remarks by African Art Dialogues 

10:15 am 
Catalysts of Change: Shaping the Venice Biennale from the African Continent (Book your free ticket) 
In the inaugural panel of AAVF 2024, we pivot from the traditional focus on African presence in Venice to spotlight African agency in reshaping the Venice Biennale. Exploring the role of African organizations, we illuminate their vital contributions to empowering artists, facilitating access, and shaping global art narratives.

Presented by African Art Dialogues with Africa No Filter 

Moderator: 
Janine Sytsma, Assistant Professor, Contemporary Arts of Global Africa, University of Arkansas, School of Art 

Speakers: 
Simon Njami, Curator, Ivory Coast Pavillion 
Akaye Kerunen, Curator, Ugandan Pavillion 
Georgia Harrell, Director, Black Rock Senegal 
Ced’art Tamasala, artist, vice president of CATPC, Lusanga DR Congo 

11:45 pm 
What Should We Celebrate Now? Reimagining African Modernism (Book your free ticket)
What enduring influence does the political, intellectual, and cultural activism of African modernists hold in contemporary art? How does their legacy shape global discourse, including the Venice Biennale? Why does this impact matter? The panel tries to reflect on their revolutionary spirit, uncover their artistic innovations, and embrace their enduring legacy in today’s creative landscape.

Presented by African Art Dialogues with Strauss & Co and Africa No Filter

Moderator:
Heba El Kayal, Independent Curator and Writer

In conversation with:
Frank Kilbourn, Executive Chairperson, Strauss & Co

1:15 pm  
Foyer Activity – Toast With The Author  – Book Presentation by Ntshepe Tsekere Bopape (Mo Laudi) 
Join us for the launch of “Globalisto: A Philosophy in Flux. Acts of an Imbizo,” a groundbreaking book echoing transformative global shifts. Orchestrated by visionary curator Ntshepe Tsekere Bopape and MAMC+ Director Aurélie Voltz, the event promises a journey through collective dialogue and socially engaged art. The Globalisto philosophy embodies African knowledge systems, post-apartheid transitionalism, and radical hospitality, envisioning a borderless world. “Acts of an Imbizo” aspires to be a hybrid catalogue and symposium proceedings publication, reflecting the exhibition at MAMC+ and the symposium. Edited by Bopape and Alexandre Quoi, distributed by Les Presses du Réel, with contributions by notable figures including Achille Mbembe and Elsa M’Bala, and featuring works by artists such as Sam Gilliam and Lubaina Himid.

Speakers: 
Ntshepe Tsekere Bopape, Artist, Curator, DJ, Writer 
Aurélie Voltz, Director, MAMC+ 

2:00 pm 
Nomadic Voices: Asiko Art School and the Global Dialogue on Belonging (Book your free ticket) 
“Nomadic Voices: Àsìkò Art School & Global Belonging” delves into the identity of the travelling African art school founded in 2010 by the late Bisi Silva at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos (CCA, Lagos). The panel will explore the critical methodologies and histories that underpin the artistic and curatorial practice of the program’s roving nature across anglophone, francophone, and lusophone Africa, paying homage to Silva’s vision and her substantial contribution to arts education across Africa. Additionally, the panel will introduce the exhibition “Passengers in Transit,” which will be presented by CCA, Lagos as part of the collateral programs at the Venice Biennale.

Presented by CCA Lagos

Moderator:
Dolly Kola Balogun, Founder & Creative Director Retro Africa 

Speakers:
Euridice Zaituna Kala, Visual Artist
Igo Diarra, Founder and Director Galerie Médina
Emmanuel Ndefo, Artist / Researcher
Oyindamola Fakeye, Director Àsìkò Art School/ Centre for Contemporary Art Lagos
Tyna Adebowale, Multimedia Artist

4:15 pm 
The Missing Link – East Africa Modernism reviewed (Book your free ticket) 
The panel presents the first results of a pioneering collaborative project of retelling the history of Eastern African art modernism. Art historians from Eastern Africa bring to life images and narratives reshaping the paradigm on the evolution, the roots, and the role of modernist art production from the region in the African and global art canons. Experts delve into bridging scholarship gaps and promoting appreciation for the region’s diversity, unveiling the interplay of cultural influences. Discussants highlight how modern and contemporary art reflect experiments shaped by diverse agents and cultural exchanges, including hitherto unknown perspectives on Arabic trade and European interactions. This pioneering initiative not only details East African modernisms’ origin and processes but also unearths previously undocumented cultural heritage, transcending national borders and political complexities.” 

Presented by Makerere Consortium and EAMAN

Moderator:
Dr. Beatrix Gassmann de Sousa, Course Editor and Academic Advisor

Speakers:
Mifta Zeleke, Curator and Lecturer, Alle School of Fine Art
Muhunyo Maina, Art Historian
George Kyeyune, Associate Professor, Sculpture and History of African Art, Makerere University