The second in the Tate’s four-part ‘Across the Board’ project, which focuses on African art and its representation, will be kicking off with a major symposium in Ghana this month.
In the last 10 years, non-state institutions and cultural platforms have been busy occupying local art scenes throughout Africa in order to produce new ways of connecting art and society. This symposium will examine how African networks are continuing to encourage professional development and long-term conversations about art and social change.
Bringing together three local institutions – Nubuke Foundation, the Dei Centre and Art in Social Structures – the symposium will explore Ghana’s art scene by looking at the ways that local initiatives have broadened their international scope. A major focus will be placed on institutions such as the National Museum of Ghana, the Foundation for Contemporary Art and the College of Art and Social Sciences at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.
Local and international artists will be invited to engage with artists, curators and scholars from various African cities, and there will also be a programme of film screenings dedicated to the work of Black Audio Film Collective.
Participants, which include Aida Muluneh, Gabi Ngcobo, Kader Attia, Bernard Akoi-Jackson, Ato Annan, Rikki Wemega-Kwawu among others, will be addressing questions about the politics of representation, institution building and interdisciplinary practices in the hopes of contributing to the growth of African art networks.
Some of the conference topics featured in the programme include politics and counter-politics in the arts and activating local resources.
Curated by Elvira Dyangani Ose, this is the second part of the Tate’s ‘Across the Board’ project, which launched in London in November. Following the Ghana symposium, the project will then move to Cameroon and Nigeria in late 2013/early 2014.
Apart from this special programme, Tate has also announced that it will dedicate a wing of its galleries to two African artists, Ibrahim El-Salahi and Meschac Gaba.
The Ghana symposium takes place in Accra between 21-23 February.
