AFRISANAA Magazine Vol. 1

Afrisanaa

TheArtofCollecting

Malick Sidibé Soirée familiale (1966) Source: Solomon R Guggenheim Museum

1-54 CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN ART FAIR NEW YORK

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair is pleased to announce its anticipated return to New York from Thursday, May 18 – Sunday, May 21, 2023 (Thursday, VIP & Press preview). The 2023 iteration will be held in a grand modern venue in Manhattanville Factory District in West Harlem (439 W. 127th St).

This year’s New York edition features 26 galleries hailing from Africa, Europe, and the U.S.— from Nevlunghavn to Cape Town and Los Angeles to Lagos, presenting the work of over 80 African artists and its diaspora. Thanks to 1-54’s long-standing partnership with Artsy, visitors can explore, connect with, and collect from all the galleries and artists online from 18 – 31 May at artsy.net/1-54.

BOOK YOUR TICKET TODAY!

rom the editor

me to AFRISANAA! The first edition of AFRISANAA will to the world of the collector of contemporary African Art, alue the collectors create, and how they define ticity within their collections. Sanaa is the Swahili word , and the combination of Afri– AfriSanaa represents Art, the heart of this magazine.

began work on this edition, I had an interesting ation with a colleague about creating value and how s and museums create value, especially in the context an Art. How museums categorize and display the they acquire has a role in how Art is perceived and and its functionality as an art object. (1) Museums, , are not the only ones to do this - as the paper in ollectors and Dealers, BAR32 stated that the restricted zation of African Art as objects had been mainly due to es and preferences of not only artists but collectors, and critics too." (2)

eholders within the art world influence defining the ers of contemporary African Art. Nigerian curator Chika Agulu critiqued biennales' open call and jury selection

In reviewing the 52nd Venice Biennale exhibition

List Luanda Pop, Okeke-Agulu made an interesting ncerning value and authenticity as the exhibition drew om Sindika Dokolo's collection of contemporary African sentiments by Okeke-Agulu touch on the relationship collectors and the exhibition of their collections on public institutional platforms and how that sets nts for defining contemporary African Art. Okeke-Agulu s the focus of the Dokolo collection on sub-Saharan aving colonial remnants of seeing that region of the t as the "real Africa," leaving out Northern African I agree with Agulu's concerns as the exhibition, ed on the global stage of the Biennale, makes a nt about what is considered African.

Santu Mofokeng Christmas Church Service (2000)

Source: The Walther Collection

Zane e Muho Flesh II (2005) Source: The Walther Collection

Ambroise Ngaimoko Deux Amies (1975)

Source: Contemporary African Art Collection

Another concept AFRISANAA will engage with is defining "authenticity" within a collection. What makes a collection "authentically" African? How do collectors determine their collections as authentic? In Culture Vultures: The Contrasting Collections of Jean Pigozzi and Uli Sigg, Barbara Pollack contrasts two "cultural" collectors, Uli Sigg and Jean Pigozzi. The article compares the two collectors' ideas on what they define as authentic collections. Pigozzi sees authenticity in his collections by supporting the 'unheard' of artists without any "Western influence or education." (3) In contrast, Siggs, for the most part, sees it as acquiring works that have a "Chineseness." Although the article is more biased toward Siggs' definition of authenticity, his description is not too far off from Pigozzi's. Siggs has a preconceived notion of the "Chinese" aesthetic, while Pigozzi sees external influence as not authentic to the African experience. The article also makes comparisons and raises questions on what it means to collect work from a culture with which you have never interacted.

Throughout this publication are the different motivations and principles in building a cultural collection when one is not from the culture or has had little interaction with the culture they are acquiring from. The complexities of cultural authenticity and how that is defined differently amongst collectors is an area that needs exploration. Sindika Dokolo is an African collector, intentionally collecting African art, while collectors such as Artur Walter and Jean Pigozzi are non-Africans intentionally collecting African art. In an interview with Osei Bonsu, Sindika Dokolo describes his collection as "creating as many dynamics on the African art scene as possible." (4) An extensive analysis of the artists and works within these collections, interviews with the collectors themselves, and looking at past exhibitions of their collections will create a foundation for understanding contemporary African art.

Notes

1 Clifford, J (2002) “On Collecting Art and Culture,” in The predicament of culture: Twentieth-century ethnography, literature, and art Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, pp 215–251

2 BAR32, reviser “Africa: Collectors and Dealers ” Oxford Art Online doi:10 1093/oao/9781884446054 013 60000100135 2003

Pollack,

“Culture Vultures:

104–6 2005

4 “A Culture Operator: Sindika Dokolo ” New African, no 543 (October): 91–92 2014 p 92 https://searchebscohost-com proxy library nyu edu/login aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=98923823&site=eds-live

3

Barbara

The Contrasting Collections of Jean Pigozzi and Uli Sigg ” Modern Painters, December,

Olu Oguibe Many Thousand Gone (detai ) (2000) Source: Fr eze website

Zanele Muholi Yaya Mavundla II, Parktown, Johannesburg (2017) Source: Vogue

Jean Depara Léopoldville la nu t (1958)

Source: MoMA

Medium: Colored paper, paperboard, plastic, aluminum foil, metallic foil paper, foamcore, pencil, crayon, marker, adhesive, colored tape, metallic tape, fabric, copper wire, toothpicks, map pins, metal pins, and plastic bottle caps

Dimensions: 35 13/16 × 29 1/8 × 20 7/8" (91 × 74 × 53 cm), irreg.

Provenance: MoMA The Jean Pigozzi African Art Collection

TheBasicsofCollectingContemporaryAfricanArt

There has been ever-increasing growth in the contemporary African art market in the past few years This trend has been particularly pronounced recently, with African art featured in major international art fairs and museums and going up for auction. A vibrant and rapidly growing field, the ArtTactic Modern & Contemporary African Artist Market Report 2016-2021 showed a surge in auction sales by 44.(1) percent in 2021 from 2020.1 These figures do not present, however, the motivation behind these purchases by collectors and how that affects not only these artists' markets but the overall contemporary art market Artists from across the continent are creating works that reflect their cultural heritage and current global trends

Collectors of contemporary African art are a diverse group with varied interests, motivations, and backgrounds, though several common themes are shared. In the case of Sindika Dokolo, a Congolese businessman and art collector, one sees a desire to support emerging African artists and help promote their work to a broader audience on the African continent Contrastingly, German collector Artur Walther supports artists with critical acclaim in their local regions and keeps them garnering international acclaim Many collectors see themselves as advocates for African artists and are passionate about the potential of their work to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about the continent. Italian art collector and photographer Jean Pigozzi said about Malian photographer Seydou Keita, "I am incredibly proud that I made this immense talent the most important photographer in Africa. I think he's on the same level as Irving Penn or Avedon". (2) Collectors can help increase their visibility and support their careers by collecting and promoting the work of African artists Many collectors work closely with artists, offering financial support, mentoring, and exhibition opportunities One such collector is German art collector Artur Walther. The Walther Collection has published several books on African photography, such as Autoportrait, the first comprehensive survey of Samuel Fosso's work. Other publications include Samuel Fosso: SIXSIXSIX, Recent Histories: Contemporary African Photography and Video Art, Zanele Muholi: Faces and Phases, and many more. Another motivation for collectors is the desire to acquire unique and visually striking pieces that reflect the diversity and richness of African culture Many collectors are drawn to African art's vibrant colors, bold forms, and intricate patterns and appreciate how these pieces can transform a living or working space. Figures of artworks may be helpful.

As the international art market expands, more collectors consider African art a potential investment opportunity. In recent years, the prices of African art have skyrocketed, with works by top African artists selling for millions of dollars at major auction houses One can look at the massive increase in West African art sales, which saw a rise of 111 4 percent, to see an investment opportunity for collectors Amoako Boafo, El Anatsui, Aboudia, Ben Enwonwu, and Toyin Ojih Odutola account for 74 percent of total sales. (3) Contemporary African art is an attractive option for collectors interested in art's aesthetics and financial value.

Some collectors travel extensively throughout Africa to meet with artists and view their work in person. Others work with dealers or galleries specializing in African art and may participate in auctions or art fairs to acquire pieces Two examples of collectors who employed the expertise of curators are Jean Pigozzi and Sindika Dokolo. While building his Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC), Pigozzi used Andre Magnin to help curate his collection.

Dokolo partnered with Fernando Alvim to create his collection Collectors attend exhibitions and art fairs to discover new artists and explore the latest trends and styles in contemporary African art. More art fairs and biennials are coming up on the continent to promote African art, such as Dakar Biennale, Art x Lagos, Investec Cape Town Art Fair, and FBN Joburg Art Fair. Art fairs such as 1-54 that are dedicated to African contemporary art have led to more showcases of galleries and artists being introduced in different geographic art markets, i e , New York, Paris, and Morocco

The increase in online platforms has allowed collectors to browse and purchase African art from the comfort of their homes. The ArtTactic report shows an increase in online sales by 6.2 percent through online-only auctions, reaching 7.9 million from 7.4 million in 2020. (4) These online platforms offer convenient and accessible ways to acquire pieces and feature various works from emerging to established African artists.

However, there are also concerns about the role of collectors in the African art world, especially in collectors of works that are not Africans themselves. This brings about the concept of "collecting the other," which refers to acquiring and possessing objects or people considered exotic or unfamiliar, typically from cultures or societies that differ from one's own. This practice has a long history, dating back to colonialism and imperialism, where Europeans and Americans sought to collect artifacts and people from their colonies and display them in museums or private collections (5) Today, the practice of collecting the other still exists, although it takes different forms and is often more subtle There is a debate about whether one must have significant cultural ties to appreciate and collect the work. On the one hand, it is seen as no different from the colonial practice of collecting African art, and yet, how can we gatekeep collecting art? Regardless, one must recognize the power dynamics at play when analyzing and evaluating these collections and the motivators of the collectors.

When a collection is private, the desires of the collector and narratives are confined within their homes and those who visit them; when these collections are presented for public viewing, they receive a responsibility akin to a museum collection/exhibition. The motivations of a collector get translated into their collections, which then, on public view, become part of the discourse surrounding contemporary African art. Exhibitions and scholarship on contemporary African art benefit from us identifying what impedes and benefits progress.

While there are concerns about the role of collectors in the African art world, there is no doubt that they have played a crucial role in promoting and supporting the work of African artists. As the international art market continues to expand, African art will likely continue to attract the attention of collectors worldwide. This journal includes extensive profiles on three collectors and their collections: Jean Pigozzi, Artur Walther, and Sinidka Dokolo, a timid attempt at grasping for answers but a starting point at the least.

Notes

1 Dewar, L (2022) Market analysis: Modern & Contemporary African Artists 2016 – 2021, ArtTactic Available at: https://arttactic com/product/marketanalysis-modern-contemporary-african-artists-2016-2021/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

2 Maneker, A M (2012) The Pigozzi-Keita Story, Art Market Monitor Available at: https://www artmarketmonitor com/2012/04/18/the-pigozzi-keita-story/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

3 Dewar, L (2022) Market analysis: Modern & Contemporary African Artists 2016 – 2021, ArtTactic Available at: https://arttactic com/product/marketanalysis-modern-contemporary-african-artists-2016-2021/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

4 Ibid

Yinka Shonibare

How to Blow Up Two Heads at Once (Gentlemen)

2006

Medium: Two life-size fibreglass mannequins, huns, Dutch wax printed cotton, leather riding boots

Dimension: 68.9 x 62.9 x 15.75 in.

(175 x 160 x 40 cm.)

Source: ArtImage site–Artist

AContemporaryCollectorofArtinAfrica,Nota CollectorofContemporaryAfricanArt

Chika Okeke-Agulu’s 2007 review of Check List: Luanda Pop, an exhibition hosted at the 52nd Venice Biennale, examined the effects of having a special African show based solely on the private collection of Sindika Dokolo. With a “formidable” collection rivaling only Jean Pigozzi’s, Okeke-Agulu pointed out a vital flaw in the collection at the time: it only included artists from sub-Saharan Africa. In leaving out the North African artists, the collection and the biennale perpetuates the “vexatious colonial tendency of imagining subSaharan Africa as the ‘real’ Africa, since the northern regions had been ‘contaminated’ by Islamic and Arab civilizations.”(1) It is to be noted that since the release review, North African artists have been added to the collections such as Amal Kenawy, Ghada Amer and Zoulikha Bouabdellah (2)

Sindika Dokolo was a prominent Congolese businessman, philanthropist, and collector known for his passion for contemporary African art. Born in 1972 in Kinshasa, Dokolo was exposed to the art world very early on; his father, Augustin Dokolo, a leading businessman, was a collector of classical African arts, and his mother, Hanne Kruse, often took him to museums around Europe. Growing up in Belgium and France, Dokolo always felt like an “other.” In a 2015 interview with Publico, he said, “I always had the feeling of being the other, the foreigner, and I was often the victim of a certain appreciation that people made of my context, my cultural references, my way of seeing the world My work with art was also a statement: "Contrary to what you think, I am not what you think I am." Seeing Pharynx by Jean-Michel Basquiat during his adolescence sparked his interest in contemporary art and his thinking behind the repatriation of classical African art. (3) In 1995, after graduating from Pierre and Marie Curie University in economics, commerce, and foreign languages, Dokolo moved back to Congo to join his father’s business. Dokolo died at 48 off the coast of Dubai in a tragic freediving accident in 2020

Dokolo’s art collection began at 15 through his father's influence Like his father, this started with classical African art, such as historical sculptures, paintings, and other visual objects Later this collection, with the purchase of the Hans Bogtzke collection, formed the basis of the extensive contemporary African art collection and the Sindika Dokolo Foundation. He purchased the 500-piece collection at the suggestion of Angolan artist and curator Fernando Alvim, who now serves as the foundation's vice president. It is estimated that the collection includes between 3000 and 5000 (he previously avoided the question when asked to clarify the number) works. Unsurprisingly, Dokolo is regarded as one of the world's most important collectors of contemporary African art. The collection has significantly promoted the recognition and appreciation of African art globally, in addition to integrating artists within the international circles of the art world.

With Dokolo’s guiding principle, “we cannot be stronger outside than inside,” the collection was primarily shown on the African continent. (4) However, the Dokolo Foundation lent pieces of the collection to museums worldwide on the condition that the institution presents the same exhibition in an African country. In his interview with Publico, Dokolo stated that this had been an area of the foundation’s work with the least results due to the lack of infrastructure in many African countries, apart from South Africa, to host large exhibitions

g supporting emerging and mid-career artists, exploring new forms of expression, and pushing the boundaries of African art.

"I always had the feeling of being the other, the foreigner, and I was often the victim of a certain appreciation that people made of my context, my cultural references, my way of seeing the world. My work with art was also a statement: "Contrary to what you think, I am not what you think I am "

S ndika Dokolo Source: ArtForum

g , y, p ( ) g y , he started a worldwide campaign forcing Western museums, auction houses, and art dealers to return stolen pieces from the colonial era. In 2015, he repatriated three indigenous artworks to the Dundo Museum in northeast Angola, which were stolen during the country’s civil war. (8) His approach had been nothing short of proactive; the SD Foundation had an international team of dealers and researchers monitoring the art market and archives for stolen African art. When the artwork was found, Dokolo approached the owner with the option to sell for the price acquired or face a lawsuit for theft. (9)

In 1999, Dokolo moved to Luanda, Angola, where he met Isabel dos Santos, the eldest daughter of the President of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos. They married in 2002. In January 2020, Dokolo and Santos were under investigation for a large-scale corruption scandal involving embezzlement and suspicious deals of personal benefit but costing Angolan taxpayers millions of dollars Although the 715,000 leaked documents, known as #LuandaLeaks, mainly mention Santos's activities, Dokolo’s part involves a suspicious one-sided partnership with the state diamond company Sodiam (10) The SD Foundation website “has been under maintenance" since the investigation There is now no insight into the scope and work of the collection, and there have been no activities around the foundation or collection itself Unfortunately, since the scandal and death of Dokolo, we have witnessed the demise of meaningful work in African art.

Is the irony of advocating for the return of stolen art while stealing from the people you proclaim to be rooting for worse or better than using illicit funds to purchase said stolen art? Delinda Collier wrote in her article The Art Washing of Sindika Dokolo that campaigns like #decolonizethisplace have put enormous pressure on museums to stop hiding behind ‘revolutionary rhetoric’ when their collections stem from illicit gains. (11) We put pressure on museums, but many institutions build their collections through donations from private collectors like Sindika Dokolo. Maybe it is time to start going up to the source.

The Sindika Dokolo collection of African contemporary art is a testament to the richness and diversity of African art and the creativity and vitality of African artists It has played an essential role in promoting the recognition and appreciation of contemporary African art globally and supporting the development of a new generation of African artists and cultural institutions But can we continue to overlook how the building of collections from illicit funds affects the integrity of the collection? What message does it send when we exhibit African art as a window into the issues of relevancy on the African continent when it is funded by gains stolen from the Africans?

Santu Mofokeng Street Scene (2004) Source: Tate

Notes

1 Okeke-Agulu, Chika “Venice and Contemporary African Art ” African Arts 40 (3): 1–5 doi:10 1162/afar 2007 40 3 1 2007

2 Sindika Dokolo Foundation (2020) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindika Dokolo Foundation (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

3 See Translated site from Portuguese Queirós, L M and Marmeleira, J (2015) "Num continente como áfrica, a arte É necessariamente política", PÚBLICO Público Available at: https://www-publicopt.translate.goog/2015/03/08/culturaipsilon/entrevista/num-continente-que-precisa-de-recuperar-a-sua-autoridade-aarte-e-necessariamente-politica-1688449? page=-1& x tr sl=auto& x tr tl=en& x tr hl=en& x tr pto=wapp%3Futm source (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

4 “A Culture Operator: Sindika Dokolo ” New African, no 543 (October): 91–92 2014 p 92 https://search-ebscohostcom.proxy.library.nyu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=98923823&site=eds-live.

5 Sindika Dokolo Foundation (2020) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindika Dokolo Foundation (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

6 See Translated site from Portuguese Queirós, L M and Marmeleira, J (2015) "Num continente como áfrica, a arte É necessariamente política", PÚBLICO. Público. Available at: https://www-publicopt.translate.goog/2015/03/08/culturaipsilon/entrevista/num-continente-que-precisa-de-recuperar-a-sua-autoridade-aarte-e-necessariamente-politica-1688449? page=-1& x tr sl=auto& x tr tl=en& x tr hl=en& x tr pto=wapp%3Futm source (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

7 Ibid.

8 News (2020) Sindika Dokolo returns stolen art to Angolan Museum, Apollo Magazine. Available at: https://www.apollomagazine.com/sindika-dokolo-returns-stolen-art-to-angolan-museum/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

9 Minder, R (2015) Collector fights for African art, The New York Times The New York Times Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/arts/international/collector-fights-for-african-art.html (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

10 Isabel dos Santos: Africa's Richest Woman 'ripped off Angola' (2020) BBC News. BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51128950 (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

11 The art washing of Sindika Dokolo (no date) Africasacountry com Available at: https://africasacountry.com/2020/01/the-artwashing-of-sindika-dokolo (Accessed: April 16, 2023).

Kiluanji Kia Henda, A City Called Mirage, 2014–17. Courtesy of the artist and ISCP website

Asteria Malinzi 121 Days At Sea II 2015 Medium: 35mm Film Negative soaked in seawater, Hahnemuhle Paper; 148 x 210mm

Source: Rangi Gallery

ArtWithNoBorders: ALookIntheCollectionofJeanPigozzi

In March 2022, I visited the Frédéric Bruly Bouabré: World Unbound show at MoMA. Taking over the walls of the Edward Steichen galleries, the exhibition was the first survey of Ivorian artist Frédéric Bruly Bouabré’s work from the 1970s until 2014. The show's biggest highlight was Bouabré’s writing invention–Alphabet Bété (1991), a pictographic alphabet for the Bété people consisting of 449 drawings (1) Bouabré’s persistence in preserving, collecting, and celebrating African history was evident in the over 1000 small-scale drawings within the exhibition. The only other solo survey of a Black artist from Africa at the MoMA until now had been Congolese artist Bodys Isek Kingelez's city models. MoMA acquired Kingelez and Bouabré’s works through the donation of an Italian businessman, photographer, and art collector, Jean Pigozzi, who has been building his collection of contemporary African art since the 1980s.

Born in Paris in 1952, Jean “Johnny” Pigozzi, son of Henri Pigozzi – CEO of Simca automobile brand–began taking pictures at seven, capturing images of his pets, friends, environment, and lifestyle. Pigozzi has had his work shown worldwide with several solo and group exhibitions, including Les Rencontres D’Arles Photographie, France (2010); “Johnny Stop!, ” The Moscow House of Photography, Moscow (2011); “My World, Jean Pigozzi, ” Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing (2014) and “An Ear for Music, An Eye for Art: The Ahmet Ertegun Collection,” The Baker Museum, Florida (2013) His first solo exhibition was at Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris (1974) (2) He began collecting art in the mid-70s while attending Harvard The first piece he bought was a Rauschenberg collage from Illeana Sonnabend’s gallery in Paris. (3)

Pigozzi's interest in African art began in 1989 when he visited the Magiciens de la Terre (Magicians of the Earth) exhibition at the Georges Pompidou Center and Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris. Magiciens was the first international exhibition to give equal footing to contemporary works from across the globe After seeing the vibrant work of Chéri Samba, Pigozzi contacted André Magnin, who curated the exhibition “I was completely mesmerized. For me, it changed what was art.”, Pigozzi said in a 2015 interview with Surface Magazine. (4) Pigozzi collaborated with Magnin and started the Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC) in 1989.

CAAC is considered one of the world's largest and most comprehensive collections of contemporary African art Based in Geneva, the collection includes over 10,000 works of art from across the African continent, including paintings, sculptures, photography, drawings, and installations With over 160 artists, ranging with works from the 1980s to the present day, CAAC includes works by some of the most influential artists from the continent, such as Chéri Samba, Seydou Keïta, Aboudia, Jean Depara, Kudzanai Chiurai, George Lilanga, Esther Mahlangu, Malick Sidibé, El Anatsui and many more. Although based in Geneva, the collection has no permanent exhibition venue. Despite this, the works within the collection have been exhibited in several museums and art fairs across the world, such as Guggenheim Museum in Spain; the National Museum of African Art in Washington DC; Cartier and Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris; Venice Biennale; Tate Modern in London; Documenta in Cassel; MoMA in New York and the list goes on.

Having never visited Africa and without intention to, Magnin did the legwork of traveling up and down the African continent to scout artists and acquire works for Pigozzi’s collection. (5) Pigozzi’s reason for not wanting to visit the region he so avidly collects from is that he “wants to keep his illusion about it being a” nice friendly place.” (6) He sees it as “another side of Africa,” that high art as good as that of modern artists in New York can be made in such as “messy place ” The backhanded compliment in this view of the artists is teetering with predetermined biases Philippe Boutté and Belinda Paumelle in Paris and Patrick Marchand in Geneva assisted with the collection. With over 40 years of experience in the field, Magnin founded his contemporary art gallery working with emerging and established African artists directed by Boutté.

Pigozzi does not want the collection “stuck in an African ghetto.”, as he called it, motivated to have the collection not look ‘stereotypically’ African (7) Motivated by visual aesthetics rather than politics surrounding the work, Pigozzi sees the works as more than just African; they are contemporary Not seeing his collection as political, it seems that Pigozzi is driven more by the piece's aesthetics as a collector. Pigozzi prefers the self-taught artists in his collections, seeing their work as “strikingly original.” With few pieces purchased in galleries, 90 percent of the works are acquired directly from the artist. In an interview with ArtNewspaper in 2007, he likens his rapport with artists to that of the time of the Medici. (8) Although he has not visited Africa, he has met most artists in his collection and built strong relationships with them Frequently, Pigozzi supported these working artists by sending supplies or paying for works in advance and even supporting artists like Chéri Samba in creating the Chéri Samba Foundation in Kinshasa. This type of hands-on collecting establishes an ecosystem that helps artists financially and provides the ability to create more work. These artists, in turn, introduce more artists to Pigozzi, creating more markets and expanding the field.

"I want to show how good and original African contemporary art is in the twenty-first century I am in no rush, and I have nothing to prove to anyone, but I do think that African contemporary art has a place in all the serious contemporary art museums worldwide. Bodys Kingelez and Seydou Keïta are as interesting and important as Richard Serra and Richard Avedon."

Jean Pigozz Source: The New York Times

Aside from exhibitions, CAAC has organized numerous publications and supported the acquisition of African art by museums and cultural institutions worldwide through donations In 2019, MoMA received what they called a “transformative gift” from Pigozzi, who donated 45 works from his collection Some of the artists included in the gift are Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Bodys Isek Kingelez, Chéri Samba, Moké, Romuald Hazoumè, Jean Depara, Seydou Keïta, Abu Bakarr Mansaray, Ambroise Ngaimoko and more. MoMA’s press release explained, "The gift makes MoMA a unique institutional leader in this aspect of contemporary African art.” (9) They are not wrong. The lacunae of contemporary African art, amongst other non-Western art in major institutions, has been an issue for a long time. With movements like #decolonizethisplace, more pressure is being put on museums to have collections with diverse voices. It is hard not to agree with how transformative the gift is in that it led to two successful solo surveys of African artists who may not have been presented to a broader public had it not been for Pigozzi Pigozzi has also made donations to museums in Africa, such as Romuald Hazoumé to the Porto-Novo Museum, Seydou Keïta, and Malick Sidibé to the Bamako Museum, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré to the Abidjan National Museum,

In a recent interview with Artnet last year, Pigozzi shared plans to give the collection a dedicated home in Cannes, south of France. The 64,000 square feet Saint-Roch chapel is set to be renovated to house several thousands of works. A condition of this gift is that Pigozzi be the museum's artistic director for the first five years. (10) The museum will show African art and include works from other parts of Pigozzi’s collection, such as American street photography. It will be interesting to see Pigozzi’s strategy for running the institution. In his interview with Surface magazine, Pigozzi shared, “Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and think, I must have that work The Pompidou or Tate can’t make a decision alone; for me, the greatest collections are made by individual people ” (11)

Although private collections like Pigozzi’s ‘fill in the gaps for many public museums, are they the right solution? That said, Pigozzi’s museum is a step forward for contemporary African art in the Western hemisphere. Jean Pigozzi's influence on contemporary African art cannot go unnoticed. With institutions like MoMA hiring African curators to their staff, the Venice Biennale including more African pavilions, and more African works being represented in permanent collections, the art world has started to catch up. CAAC has played an important role in promoting the recognition and appreciation of African art globally and rethinking global contemporary art.

Notes

1 Frédéric Bruly Bouabré: World unbound: Moma (no date) The Museum of Modern Art. The Museum of Modern Art. Available at: https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/5348 (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

2 Jean Pigozzi (2018) Gagosian Gagosian Available at: https://gagosian com/artists/jean-pigozzi/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

3 (2023) Caacart. Available at: https://www.caacart.com/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

4 Jean Pigozzi's massive collection of African art (2016) SURFACE. Available at: https://www surfacemag com/articles/20151130jean-pigozzis-massive-collection-of-african-art/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

5 Cocks, A.S. (2021) In Search of Art Out of Africa: An Interview with Jean Pigozzi, The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. Available at: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2019/07/24/in-search-of-art-out-of-africa-an-interview-with-jean-pigozzi (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

6 Ibid.

7 (2023) Caacart. Available at: https://www.caacart.com/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

8 Ibid

9 The Museum of Modern Art receives transformative gift of African contemporary art from collector Jean Pigozzi (no date) MoMA Online Press Office RSS. Available at: https://press.moma.org/news/pigozzi-gift/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

10 Sansom, A (2022) 'I didn't need something pompous': Jean Pigozzi on the museum he's building for his contemporary African art trove in Cannes, Artnet News Available at: https://news artnet com/art-world/jean-pigozzimuseum-cannes-2150617 (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

11 Jean Pigozzi's massive collection of African art (2016) SURFACE. Available at: https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/20151130jean-pigozzis-massive-collection-of-african-art/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

Presents

NEW PHOTOGRAPHY

2023: KELANI

ABASS, AKINBODE

AKINBIYI, YAGAZIE

EMEZI, AMANDA

IHEME, ABRAHAM

OGHOBASE, KARL

OHIRI, LOGO OLUWAMUYIWA

MAY 28 – SEP 16, 2023

New Photography 2023 is the first to focus on a specific art scene across the globe. Each of the international artists in the exhibition maintains a connection to the vibrant art community flourishing in the port city of Lagos (Èkó) the commercial capital of Nigeria, and one of the most populous cities on the African continent.

World’sMostImportantPrivateCollectionof AfricanPhotography?

In my final semester at NYU, I was lucky enough to enroll in the African Photography/ Photography in Africa course at the NYU Institute of Fine Arts With only a handful of African art courses at NYU, I found this one at the right time. In my assigned readings throughout the semester on different literature on photography on the African continent, a constant name would come up: Artur Walther. The first of such readings was a curatorial essay by Okwui Enwezor for the exhibition “Events of the Self: Portraiture and Social Identity” from the three-volume publication African Photography from The Walther Collection (2010–13) This piqued my interest; who is Artur Walther? What is his importance in African photography?

A renowned collector of African photography, Artur Walther was born in 1948 in Ulm, Germany. In 1977, he graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA and became a leading figure in interest and currency swaps. He was a General Partner at Goldman Sachs until his retirement in 1994. Following his retirement, Walther wanted to pursue artistic interests like design, architecture, and photography. With a Leica M5, gifted to him over Christmas, he enrolled in classes at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York (1)

While studying at the ICP, Walther became acquainted with Bernd and Hilla Becher, along with other artists like Stephen Shore and Mary Ellen Mark, which fostered his interest in photography, which would become the nucleus of his collection. (2) He oversaw the exhibitions committee at ICP for ten years, spearheading the Triennial of Photography and Video in 2003 He now serves as a board member of the ICP and, in 2016, was awarded the ICP Trustee Award for his contributions to the establishment (3) Walther has served on several cultural committees, such as the Photography Committees of Bard and Vassar Colleges, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Architecture and Design Committee of the Museum of Modern Art.

Although his initial focus was German modernist photographs, Walther traveled extensively with ICP during the 1990s and 2000s, which resulted in his collection expanding to other geographic regions Artists from Africa and Asia–specifically China– were being added to the collection, such as Santu Mofokeng, Jo Ratcliffe, Ai Wei Wei, Samuel Fosso, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Seydou Keïta, Zhang Huan, David Goldblatt, Song Dong and many more. The collection now includes over 4000 works by more than 250 of the most celebrated photographers of the 20th century, with over 1000 of those works being from Africa and its diaspora Walther has also been a major supporter of African photography beyond collecting He has funded exhibitions, publications, and research projects that have helped to promote the study and appreciation of African photography and has worked to support the development of a new generation of African photographers. The first trip to Africa led to the Snap Judgments: New Positions in Contemporary African Photography exhibition at ICP, curated by Enwezor, a renowned curator, critic, and writer in the art world from Nigeria. Enwezor acknowledged Walther personally for his involvement with the show in the exhibition's accompanying publication; “During the course of the project, Walther was more than a supporter; he was also a co-traveler, advocate, and friend The Exhibition Committee deserves as much credit for their support as well.” (4)

For Walther, collecting is a form of education; he does extensive research when adding artists to the collection. He collects photographic series rather than individual photographs, for example, acquiring all 66 large-scale Polaroids by Samuel Fosso In his interview with Eye of Photography magazine, Wlather gave the following advice on collecting: “Reflect carefully on what you wish to acquire, and try to analyze, conceptualize and articulate why it attracts you, and only then pursue it. It is as general and as specific as that.” (5) Walther collects with an exhibition and publication in mind, looking further to explore themes and gaps within his existing collection to create accurate representations of Africa and its diaspora He is essentially operating as a museum but with fewer limitations on resources, with an annual budget that can go up to seven figures.

Walther first met Enwezor at the Guggenheim’s In/sight: African Photographer, 1940 to Present exhibition. Enwezor has organized Documenta 11, the 2nd Johannesburg Biennale, and the 2015 Venice Biennale, amongst other programs pushing contemporary African artists and scholarships to the global stage In his interview with The Eye of Photography magazine, Walther shared that Enwezor had influenced his collecting, “he not only encouraged my interest in African photography but also informed my thinking about non-European approaches to the medium. He was also instrumental in my decision to build a museum campus in Neu-Ulm, Germany – in the street where I grew up”.9

In June 2010, Walther opened his collection in Neu-Ulm, Germany A four-building museum complex, the Walther Collection “presents thematic and monographic exhibitions drawn from its expansive range of photography and media art from the collection's African, Chinese, Japanese, and European holdings of modern and contemporary works, nineteenth-century photography from Europe and Africa and vernacular lens-based imagery from across the globe.” (6) The inaugural exhibition for the collection, Events of the Self: Portraiture and Social Identity, curated by Enwenzor, covered over three generations of African photographers with European photography discussing “portraiture and social transition, typologies and taxonomies, and theatricality and figuration.” (7)

"He not only encouraged my interest in African photography but also informed my thinking about nonEuropean approaches to the medium."

The Walther collection covers many themes, including portraiture, landscape, urbanization, social and political conflict, and everyday life One central theme within his collection is "vernacular" photography; these are non-art photographs made for a vast range of purposes, such as scientific, commercial, governmental, or medical. These images cross the boundaries of time, place, and culture, recasting the cultural history of photography. (8) One of the strengths of Walther's collection is its inclusion of works by well-known and lesser-known photographers. The collection includes works by celebrated photographers such as Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé, and Samuel Fosso and works by lesser-known photographers who have made significant contributions to African photography.

In April 2011, a second collection venue, Project Space, was opened in New York. Solo exhibitions for Jo Ratcliffe, August Sander, and Rotimi Fani-Kayode were presented in this space. The Jo Ratcliffe show was the inaugural exhibition at the venue For Walther, photographers who lack global recognition, like Ratcliffe, are essential for his collection and for supporting living artists A major exhibition at Project Space was Distance and Desire: Encounters with the African Archive in June 2013 curated by Tamar Garb. The three-part exhibition series staged a dialogue between contemporary artists and late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century photography from Eastern and Southern Africa. Like many of the others hosted by The Walther Collection, this exhibition was accompanied by a publication of the same name

In addition to exhibitions, the Walther Collection hosts programs such as lectures, scholarly symposia, screenings, and critically acclaimed publications in partnership with Steidl, such as Samuel Fosso: Autoportrait, the first comprehensive survey of his self-portraits; Samuel Fosso: SIXSIXSIX; Jo Ratcliffe: 1980s to Now; Recent Histories: Contemporary African Photography and Video Art; Zanele Muholi: Faces and Phases; Santu Mofokeng: The Black Photo Album; Appropriated Landscapes and many more

Overall, Arthur Walther's collection of African photography is a testament to the collector's power. The collection has played an important role in promoting the global recognition and appreciation of African photography in dialogue with photography from Asia and Europe, changing the discourse around contemporary global photography and its history

Notes

1 Feinstein, Jon. "Artur Walther May Have the Largest Collection of African Photography." Whitewall, 31 Jan. 2013, paragraph. 4. https://whitewall.art/art/artur-walther-may-have-the-largest-collection-of-african-photography (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

2 Artur Walther (2022) Wikipedia Wikimedia Foundation Available at: https://en wikipedia org/wiki/Artur Walther (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

3 2016 infinity award: Trustee - Artur Walther (2018) International Center of Photography. Available at: https://www.icp.org/infinity-awards/artur-walther (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

4 Enwezor, O (2006) Snap judgments: New positions in contemporary African photography Steidl Publishers p 8-9

5 Kherbek, William. "The Walther Collection "(no date) BMW Art Guide by Independent Collectors. Available at: https://bmw-art-guide.com/categories/collections/the-walther-collection-neu-ulm-germany (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

6 Dinter, N. (2022) What's new, Artur Walther? interview by Nadine Dinter, The Eye of Photography Magazine. Available at: https://loeildelaphotographie com/en/whats-new-artur-walther-interview-by-nadine-dinter-dv/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

7 The Walther Collection (no date) About us - Walther Collection. Available at: https://www.walthercollection.com/en/collection/about-us (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

8 Enwezor, O (2010) Contemporary African photography from the Walther Collection: Events of the Self: Portraiture and Social Identity Göttingen: Steidl p 25

9 Dinter, N. (2022) What's new, Artur Walther? interview by Nadine Dinter, The Eye of Photography Magazine. Available at: https://loeildelaphotographie.com/en/whats-new-artur-walther-interview-by-nadine-dinter-dv/ (Accessed: April 15, 2023).

J.D. Okhai Ojeikere. Onile Gogoro or Akaba (1975). Source: Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC)

Wangechi Mutu

All Rosey 2003

Medium: Ink, acrylic, sequins, glitter and printed paper collage on mylar

Dimension: 42 x 30 in (106 6 x 76 2 cm.)

Source: Artist

ThePursuitofCulturalAuthenticityin PrivateCollections

Is it possible to build an authentic African contemporary art collection? One must start by defining what makes the works "authentically African." Authenticity is an important factor in a collection of contemporary art. However, it can be a complex and nuanced theoretical concept in contemporary African art, often involving various materials, techniques, and approaches Early scholars of African art focused on categorizing works from Africa based on the style that reflects diverse materials and forms. African works must have spiritual significance or be made before European intervention to be considered 'authentic ' Although helpful at times, this categorization method is based on aesthetics and has limitations in its false view of ethnic groups in Africa as static units. (1) In Object Lessons: Authenticity in African Art, Fred Smith, and Jordan Fenton discuss these limitations to African art. "The awareness of style as a fluid and multidimensional concept is basic to understanding the dynamics of African art " (2) Like American and European art styles, African artists use a myriad of individualism and the artists, culture, time, and space, to create works. But we know from history that with political changes, migrations, and adaptations over hundreds of centuries and more dramatically in the 20th century, African societies coexist in multiple authenticities. Some argue that an artwork can be authentic even if it incorporates modern techniques or materials, as long as it is created by an artist who deeply understands their cultural traditions and can express them in their work Others argue that an artwork must adhere strictly to traditional techniques and materials to be considered truly authentic.

One aspect of authenticity in contemporary African art is the question of the artist's intent. Collectors may seek out works created with a specific intention or purpose, such as challenging established artistic conventions, making a political statement, or exploring a particular theme or idea.

Understanding the artist's intent can help collectors to appreciate the work on a deeper level and to contextualize it within the broader history and discourse of contemporary art. Another aspect of authenticity in contemporary art is the question of materiality. Contemporary African art often involves diverse materials and techniques, including found objects, digital media, and performance art. Collectors may be interested in works that utilize innovative or unconventional materials and techniques or challenge traditional notions of what constitutes art. Authenticity in contemporary art can also be related to questions of originality and uniqueness Some collectors, like Jean Pigozzi, seek out one-of-a-kind works or part of a limited series. For Pigozzi, authenticity in African art is seen through a static lens. Unique works by ‘self-taught’ artists without a Western education or any art education seem more “authentically” African by his standards, furthering this notion of “made in Africa, by Africans, for Africans are African.” Some collectors, like Artur Walther, are interested in works that are part of a particular artist's ongoing project or body of work.

In Memory, Authenticity and Cultural Identity: The Role of Library Programs, Services, and Collections in Creating Community by William Welburn, Veronda Pitchford, and Karen E. Downing, they propose authenticity and its relationship to cultural identity as a tool for documenting cultures and communities. “For cultural institutions such as libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies, validating authority tends to be largely technical.” (3) For Sociologist David Grazian, authenticity is molded to fit the wants of consumers, dealers, and cultural owners in the context of country music. In the context of contemporary African art into what they view as an “accurate cultural representation ” This brings up the complex and sometimes contentious concept of cultural authenticity.

Although not easy to define, one understanding of the concept is the degree to which an artwork accurately represents the cultural traditions and values of the community from which it originates Creating culturally authentic artwork reflects that community's unique artistic styles, techniques, and materials. It may also convey deeper meanings or messages specific to that culture. There can be a range of opinions and perspectives on what constitutes authenticity.

Collectors pursue cultural authenticity through research, provenance, expertise, preservation, and ethics

Most collectors like Artur Walther conduct extensive research on the culture and history of the artworks he is interested in. This can include studying historical texts, consulting with experts, and even traveling to the African continent where the work was produced. Jean Pigozzi purchases his works straight from the artist’s studio. The largest collections of contemporary art by Pigozzi, Dokolo, and Walther were built with expert advice from top curators of contemporary African art, Andre Magnin, Okwui Enwezor, and Fernando Alvim, respectively For collector Dokolo, his collection's authenticity comes from being African and working deeply with African cultural institutions Collectors like Pigozzi and Walther are “outsiders” to him who truly cant value the works. Magnin disagreed with Dokolo's sentiments stating that “Mr. Dokolo is now one of the very few Africans to collect African art, but that doesn’t give him the right to decide on his own what is good or not for African art.” (4)

Ultimately, cultural authenticity in art is a complex issue that requires a nuanced understanding of the history, traditions, and values of the communities from which the art originates or does it? But in all the complexities, one thing is certain: more scholarship on frameworks for cultural authenticity in private collections is needed.

Notes

1 Kuehn, Adelaide C G Authorship, Audience, and Authenticity: Strategies of Meta-Representation in Contemporary African Arts, University of California, Los Angeles, United States -- California, 2017 ProQuest, http://proxy library nyu edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww proquest com%2Fdissertationstheses%2Fauthorship-audience-authenticity-strategies-meta%2Fdocview%2F1914679137%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768

2 Smith, F. and Fenton, J. (no date) Object lessons: Authenticity in African art, Kent State University. Available at: https://www.kent.edu/museum/object-lessonsauthenticity-african-art (Accessed: April 20, 2023)

3 Welburn, William & Pitchford, Veronda & Downing, Karen (2009) Memory, Authenticity and Cultural Identity: The Role of Library Programs, Services, and Collections in Creating Community

4 Minder, R (2015) Collector fights for African art, The New York Times The New York Times Available at: https://www nytimes com/2015/07/10/arts/international/collector-fights-for-african-art html (Accessed: April 15, 2023)

20 NOVEMBER 22 - 03 SEPTEMBER 23

ZEITZ MOCAA, CAPETOWN

Featuring more than 200 works of art from 74 institutional and private lenders located in 26 countries, When We See Us celebrates the resilience, essence, and political charge of Black joy. The exhibition includes works by artists such as Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Zandile Tshabalala, Jacob Lawrence, Chéri Samba, Danielle McKinney, Archibald Motley, Ben Enwonwu, Kingsley Sambo, Sungi Mlengeya, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Cyprien Tokoudagba, Amy Sherald, Mmapula Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi, and Joy Labinjo, to name a few, and in many instances bring these artists and their practice in dialogue for the first time.

Source: ZEITZ MOCCA

Alvin Ukpeh Untitled 2022

© Courtesy of Artist