African art is the next big thing on the world stage

WITH major museums in London and New York showcasing leading contemporary African artists this summer, and Angola’s recent success at the Biennale in Venice, the world of art finally putting Africa on its map.

Ghanaian sculptor, El Anatsui, is among the most celebrated contemporary African artists at the moment. Among his most iconic pieces are sculptures made from thousands of bottle tops, strung together with copper wire to form enormous shimmering sheets, which undulate and fold into different shapes.

Mr Anatsui’s installations are currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York — one of the few solo exhibitions of an African artist at a big institution in the United States in the last few decades.

“El Anatsui’s career has taken on a meteoric rise,” says Kevin Dumouchelle, the curator of the exhibition.

“At the beginning, he was regarded as the best contemporary artist in Africa, but he made a leap and has become a global artist.”

Mr Dumouchelle acknowledges that most visitors are rather surprised when they see who is on display.

“There is definitely a sense of catching up,” he says.

And Mr Anatsui is not only being celebrated in New York, but also across the Atlantic in the United Kingdom.

Following an invitation from the Royal Academy in London, he has created a large wall-hanging sculpture for the duration of this year’s summer exhibition.

The installation in London coincides with several exhibitions this summer of other contemporary African artists at Tate Modern — one of the leading contemporary art museums in the world.

The museum is preparing for the first major retrospective of Sudanese painter, Ibrahim El-Salahi, as well as a special installation of the works of Meschac Gaba from Benin.

Tate acquired Mr Gaba’s work as part of its drive to expand their existing collection with pieces by African artists.

“Historically Tate’s international collection concentrated on art from Western Europe and North America,” says Kerryn Greenberg, one of the curators at Tate specialising in art from Africa.

She says the new acquisitions acknowledge that some of the most dynamic and important works of art are being created in Africa.

“There does appear to be a growing interest in African art, especially in the UK. African artists are becoming increasingly mobile and visible and exhibiting internationally.”

Tate’s decision to expand their collection of African art was noted among curators as well as private collectors, and is widely seen to have contributed substantially to the current buzz about African art.

Bonhams in London is the only auction house with an annual sale dedicated to contemporary African art — the first auction was five years ago.

“After years of having to push at closed doors, the recent sale in May felt like a breakthrough,” says Giles Peppiatt, director of Bonhams’ African Art department.

According to Mr Peppiatt, there was a lot of interest from museums and private buyers in Europe and the United States, but also from Africa, especially Nigeria.

“People are much more interested in Africa commercially. The continent is seen as the next big thing, and there is an enormous amount of wealth among Africans.”

Compared to contemporary art from other parts of the world, the prices for African art are still quite modest, and investors are seeing it increasingly as a good investment.

“Public museums don’t have lots of money, so their curators have to look over the hill and see what might be the next big thing,” says Mr Peppiatt.

Africa’s increasing presence on the international art market helped Koyo Kouoh, a Cameroonian-born curator, to secure funding for the first contemporary fair for African art in London later this year.

She says the idea has been in the pipeline for years, but the increased focus on African art internationally and the increased prominence of African art professionals made all the difference.