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practitioners has been very interesting and problematic.
Here I would like to revisit the contemporary African art developments, which are constantly shaping the artistic and curatorial developments in and outside Africa.
African people have always been seeking to tell their own story since the birth of African nationalism in the 50s to the present day.
In the past 30 years, both African Diaspora curators and those in the continent challenged Western curators and their institutions for telling the African story.
This sentiment came from the glorified roles played by Western curators like, Jean-Hubert Martin, John Picton, Clementine Delisse, Hans Obrist, and Susan Vogel.
The role of the above-mentioned Western curators/theorists in contemporary African art discourse remains questionable and many others in the West.
Diaspora curators must be commended for taking on a critical need to address negative, sometimes racist contradictions on contemporary African art by dominant cultures.
While it might be true that these Western curators wanted to remain “our teachers” so to speak, it should be acknowledged one of their exhibitions ” agiciens de la terre” opened up discussions about contemporary African art in and outside Africa.
Its curator Jean-Hubert Martin is still a practising curator of great respect. To counter the telling of the African story a new breed of Diaspora curators was born in the late 80’s.
The need to challenge Western preconceived ideas about contemporary African art was led by Diaspora curators such as, Olu Oguibe, Okwui Enwezor, Salah Hassan, Gilan Tawandros, and Simon Njami etc.
Arguably, contemporary African art as we know it today in and outside Africa, would not be where it is; if it would be still told by our Western curators.
The above-mentioned African curators radical agenda in international platforms contributed to the artistic and curatorial practice in African today.
In the past 20 years we have seen many African artists and curators taking part in international platforms like, the Documenta, Venice Biennale, Gwanju Biennale, Arco Madrid, Berlin Art Forum, Art Basel Miami.
Today a number of both Diaspora curators/artists and those working and practicing in Africa are showing in renowned international Museums like Tate Modern, Hayward Gallery, MoMA, Guggenheim, Centre Pompidou and Mori Museum.
With all the contemporary African art developments in and outside the continent, but the main question has been, “what role does the African Diaspora play?”
As I said in the above paragraph, African Diaspora curators have been critical of the West’s stereotype ideas about African art.
There has been a feeling by those working and practising in the continent that the Diaspora is not in touch with the reality of Africa today.
It might be true but it should be acknowledged that had it not been their voices, contemporary African would not been showing in some of the prestigious Western institutions.
Those working and practising in Africa have not been left out in challenging the vocalisation and theorisation of contemporary African, which has always and is still coming from the West.
The beginning of the new century Africa has seen the birth of yet another breed of new curators in the continent.
This breed of new curators include myself, Algerian Abdella Karroum, Egyptian Bassam Karroum, Ethiopian Maskrem, Kenyan Jimmy Ogonga, Nigerian Bisi Silver, Senegalese Ngone Fall, Koyo Kouah, South Africa Gabi Ngcobo, Khwezi Gule, Thembinkosi Goniwe and many others across the continent.
Now that we have seen new curators coming out from Algeria to Zimbabwe, it’s a sign of curatorial development within the African continent.
However, contemporary African arts events in Africa have also played a very important role in the curatorial development in the continent.
Such events include, Bamako Re encounters de la Photography African Biennale (Mali) Cairo Biennale (Egypt), Cape Africa Platform (South Africa) Dark ‘ Art (Biennale (Senegal) Johannesburg Biennale (South Africa) Amnesia Project Nairobi Kenya and the Luanda Triennial in Angola.
After the dearth of the second Johannesburg Biennale 1997, Africa have seen the Dark ‘Art Biennale becoming the centre of contemporary Art in Africa. Many of the above-mentioned platforms have now become prominent venues for artists/curators working and practising in Africa and the Diaspora allowing them to present their work to both local and international audience.
There are a number of independent efforts that have contributed to curatorial development on contemporary African art in the continent today. Such efforts include, Alexandra Centre for Contemporary Art (Egypt) Amnesia Project Nairobi (Kenya), Cape Africa Platform (South Africa), Centre for Contemporary Art Logos (Nigeria) Douala Art (Cameroon) and Zoma Contemporary Art Centre (Ethiopia) to mention but a few.
Despite challenges in the continent some of these independent efforts, we have seen contemporary African art reclaiming its place in the global contemporary art discourse.
Some of the new curators like the Nigerian Bisi Silver, Angolan Fernando Alvim, Egyptian Bassam El Borami and many other curators from the continent taking part in a number of international events.
Zimbabwe’s isolation from the international art scene is slowly ending.
Since last year the National Gallery of Zimbabwe through its Harare Conversations we have seen international curators from Argentina to the US coming to Zimbabwe.
Today Zimbabwe is becoming a destination for international curators and researchers.
Curators who came to Zimbabwe since last year include, Simone Leigh (USA artist) Eungie Joo, (Curator of Education New Museum of Contemporary Art New York USA) Victoria Noorthoorn Agentina Curator of the Lyon Biennale 2011) and Christine Eyene (UK/Cameroon).
A group of the Tate Modern Curators, Kerryn Greeberg and Rachel Barker managed to visit our two Galleries Harare and Bulawayo. These are some signs of green shots showing in the Zimbabwean.
Lastly, let me say Zimbabwe will be a new kid on the block at the 54th Venice Biennale 2011. This is a great achievement for Zimbabwe and the National Gallery through its partners is on the driving seat for Zimbabwe to claim its piece of the global cake. It is my hope that this will change the visual arts landscape in Zimbabwe.
l Raphael Chikukwa is the Curator of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.