In a dazzling artistic tableau, Africa is revealed at the heart of the multidisciplinary arts center, Farm at the Top, through the captivating group exhibition entitled “Africa Today“. Until March 31, 2024, fans of contemporary African art are invited to immerse themselves in an artistic narrative tracing the continent’s creativity from the 1950s to the present day.
Under the aegis of the Zinsou Foundation, a contemporary African art institution based in Benin, and in partnership with the Villeneuve d’Ascq-based Farm of Upper France, a hybrid space combining conviviality and a spirit of discovery, the “Africa Today” exhibition presents itself as a stage highlighting African art through the eyes of the actors of this contemporaneity. The artists participating in this exploration of a plural and immersive art reveal themselves to be visionaries, poets and activists, each boldly and aesthetically questioning their history and identity through multiple narratives inspired by the continent’s rich traditions and contemporary trends.
Visitors will find themselves immersed in an ocean of emotions and poetry through Joël Andrianomearisoa’s spellbinding works, Ishola Akpo‘s blend of contemporary and traditional art, and Aïcha Snoussi’s perpetual analysis of universal knowledge, the innovative sculptures of sculptor-designer Amadou Ba, the legacy of early Bamako portrait painters such as Malick Sidibé and Seydou Keïta, or the sacred drawings of Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, and the work of many other important figures in contemporary African art.
Hailing from diverse African horizons, including Benin, Tunisia, South Africa, Nigeria, Congo, Mali, Ivory Coast, Madagascar and Tanzania, these emerging and established artists first took over the walls of the Zinsou Foundation Museum before conquering the space of the Farmhouse at the top, with a single aim: to highlight the cultural richness, relevance and creativity of contemporary African art.
At the heart of this art space, where different artistic approaches come together, multiple themes are explored, such as the relationship with history and the future, and the place of women in past and present society, among other subjects. Through the diverse prism of “Africa Today“, the artists seek to depict a plural Africa, with its varied traditions and expressions. The aim is not so much to seek unity in the diversity of the works presented, but rather to highlight common creative techniques.
The group exhibition “Africa Today” at Farm at the Top offers a captivating plunge into contemporary African art, highlighting the creativity, diversity and relevance of the continent’s artists. Through works rich in emotion and narrative, visitors are invited to explore a plural Africa, rooted in its traditions and resolutely turned towards the future. An immersive and enriching artistic experience that runs until March 31, revealing the vitality of the African art scene from past to present.
