Afrotopias_photo by Aleksander Hordziej_MFK 2024
‘AFROTOPIAS’ is the largest exhibition of contemporary art from Sub-Saharan Africa in Central and Eastern Europe. Through this exhibition, we can see Africa from a completely new perspective – through the lens of the daily lives, issues, and needs of the young people living there.
Afrotopias_photo by Aleksander Hordziej_MFK 2024
‘AFROTOPIAS: East – West, West – East.’
Curatorial team: Amy Muhoro, Malaika Nabilla, Witek Orski
28.06-1.09.2024
Potocki Palace Gallery, Rynek Główny 20
Opening hours: Wen.-Fri. 4.00-7.00 P.M., Sat.-Sun. 12.00-6.00 P.M. (16.08 closed)
Entrance: Rynek Główny 20 / ul. Bracka 2 St.
Artists: Mbali Dhlamini, Carlos Idun, Melannie Issaka, Kiboko Kamau, Solomon Kyalo, William Malawi, Sackitey Tesa Mate-Kodjo, Matthew Matete, Kibe Nduni, Neema Ngelime, Shawn Newson, Margaret Ngigi, Maganga Mwagogo, James Muriuki, Koffi Seble, Shitanda, Stephen Tayo, Ayomide Tejuoso (Plantation)
Afrotopias_photo by Aleksander Hordziej_MFK 2024
As curators Amy N. Muhoro, Malaika Nabila, and Witek Orski say, this year’s edition stemmed from the need to talk about “something we still know little about” – the real, contemporary Africa, a continent of numerous contrasts where tradition mixes with modernity, and spirituality remains strongly present, coexisting with science and technology. The curators aim to fully give voice to African artists, allowing them to tell the story of their continent from a perspective not found in travel magazines or news services. The 18 artists invited to co-create the exhibition come from, live, and work in Eastern and Western Africa (including Niger, Togo, Kenya, and Mali). This division created the potential for an honest narrative, initiating dialogue between the East and the West, and gave the project its title – ‘AFROTOPIA. East – West, West – East.’
Afrotopias_photo by Aleksander Hordziej_MFK 2024
‘AFROTOPIAS’ is a project that, through the works of selected artists, addresses universal issues: the continuously evolving visual sensitivity, the relationship with one’s own customs and cultural practices, the challenges of shaping gender and sexual identity in traditional societies, the paradoxes of contemporary capitalism, the relationship with nature in the face of the climate crisis, and the sense of melancholy in times of global uncertainty and chaos.
Afrotopias_photo by Aleksander Hordziej_MFK 2024