France’s parliament has passed a new law allowing the permanent return of a sacred Ivorian drum taken by colonial troops in 1916. The Djidji ayôkwé talking drum (Image credit: © Pierre Firtion / RFI, December 2022.) The Djidji Ayokwè drum, once used by the Ébrié people of Côte…
Art Basel has appointed celebrated Egyptian artist and filmmaker Wael Shawky as Artistic Director of its inaugural Qatar edition, set to take place in Doha in 2025. The announcement marks a pivotal moment for the region’s cultural landscape, as the world’s leading contemporary art fair expands into the…
BME CIC is pleased to present For Such a Time Like This, an outdoor exhibition at the Greenwich Food Festival sponsored by the Royal Borough of Greenwich. In celebration of the borough’s rich cultural diversity, the show offers a visual dialogue on the presence and perspective of emerging…
The Sharjah Art Foundation has named Angolan architect and curator Paula Nascimento as co-curator of Sharjah Biennial 17, set to open in January 2027. She will work alongside Berlin-based art historian and professor Angela Harutyunyan. Paula Nascimento. (Image credit: Raul Betti) Nascimento, born in Luanda in 1981, is…
Zimbabwean artist Richard Mudariki, known for his sharp political paintings and bold institutional critiques, was blocked from attending his own exhibition at Africa Basel after Swiss authorities denied his visa application. The irony? His show was about access, borders, and the global imbalance in artistic mobility. Richard Mudariki,…
The 1952 Africa Foundation, in partnership with the HOW Foundation, has officially announced the shortlist for the 2025 Chizi Wigwe Prize for African Futurism. This distinguished $15,000 award celebrates visionary African artists who boldly explore the theme “Africa in 2100.” Designed to spotlight the power of imagination, the…
Yinka Shonibare has been announced as one of the key contributors to the Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial in central London. His involvement marks a bold and also thoughtful addition to a landmark that aims to honour the late monarch’s legacy with depth and nuance. Rendering of Foster…
Sikelela Owen has clinched the 2025 Charles Wollaston Award at the Royal Academy for her oil painting Knitting. The £35,000 prize goes to the most distinguished work in the show, selected from more than 1,700 entries. Knitting by Sikelela Owen (Image credit: Royal Academy) Displayed in Gallery VIII, Knitting…
Emmanuel Idowu, the 2023 Absa L’Atelier Ambassador, brings his solo exhibition Echoes of Innocence to Alliance Française. The show reflects on how childhood memories shape personal identity. Using symbolic imagery such as ropes, books, and baskets as well as drawing inspiration from Yoruba folklore, Idowu explores themes of…
STEVENSON presents Appellations and Speculations on Drawing by Meleko Mokgosi, taking place across the gallery’s Cape Town and Johannesburg spaces, jointly marking the artist’s third exhibition with the gallery. Where Mokgosi’s previous exhibitions in these cities formed part of Democratic Intuition (2013-19), an eight-chapter project examining the ways…