The African Countries Showing at the 2024 Venice Biennale
This year’s Venice Biennale sees the highest number of participants from the African continent. There are 13 countries presenting in total, up from nine last year, with Benin, Senegal, Tanzania and Ethiopia making their debut. While 14 countries from the continent were initially slated to participate, Morocco’s pavilion was canceled last month after a controversy with the country’s Ministry of Culture that saw the replacement of the curator and the three commissioned artists. The Venice Biennale confirmed that the country, which is supposed to debut at the event this year, will no longer participate.
We take a look at all the countries presenting, the themes they are exploring, and the artists representing them.
Egypt
As one of two African countries with a permanent national pavilion, Egypt has long been a fixture at the Venice Biennale. This year’s exhibition is curated and helmed by Wael Shawky, and he invites audiences to interrogate the (fictional) past with him. In the pavilion, Shawky is showing Dramma 1882, a film centered around the Urabi Revolution. “I believe that translating this history into a different format allows us to analyze it,” he told OkayAfrica earlier this week, hoping that in representing his country, “I can say something meaningful in the end.”
South Africa
Participating for a seventh time, South Africa is the other African country with a permanent pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Under the direction of the Institute of Creative Repair, this year’s pavilion highlights the work of Molemo Moiloa and Nare Mokgotho, the duo who work together as MADEYOULOOK. Curated by Portia Malatjie, the pavilion’s title is “Quiet Ground,” which explores the possibilities of individual and communal reparations, a fitting theme as South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy.
Photo by Jasper Kettner.
Molemo Moiloa and Nare Mogkotho make up the interdisciplinary duo, MADEYOULOOK.
Senegal
Senegal’s first participation in the Venice Biennale is curated by Mariéme Ba and Massamba Mbaye and will be under the theme “Bokk-Limites.” The Pavilion will include only one artist — Alioune Diagne — whose works interrogate discrimination, heritage, ecology and other socio-cultural concerns plaguing the African continent. Diagne describes his artistic language as “Figuro-absturo,” a style of painting inspired by calligraphy. Diagne has previously presented at the 14th Dakar Biennale in 2022. The Senegal Pavilion will feature some of Diagne’s most innovative works.
Photo by Foc Kan/WireImage via Getty Images.
Alioune Diagne poses with his work during "Seede" Alioune Diagne Preview at Daniel Templon Niemeyer on January 6, 2024 in Paris, France.
Nigeria
Nigeria debuted at the Venice Biennale in 2017 and is making its second outing this year under the curatorial guide of renowned art writer and curator Aindrea Emelife. This year, Yinka Shonibare, Precious Okoyomon, Ndidi Dike, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Abraham Oghobase, Fatimah Tuggar, and Onyeka Igwe will explore themes of new visions for a perpetually unchanging country, under the theme “Nigeria Imaginary” in the Nigerian Pavilion.
Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for 14-18 NOW.
Yinka Shonibare MBE poses with his work “End of Empire” at Turner Contemporary as part of the 14-18 NOW programme.
Benin
For its first presentation at the Venice Biennale, Benin tapped Azu Nwagbogu, founder and director of the African Artists Foundation (AAF) as its curator. Nwagbogu selected four artists — Chloé Quenum, Ishola Akpo, Moufouli Bello, and Romuald Hazoumé — to explore subjects of slavery, traditional religious practices, Amazon motifs and others, under the theme “Everything Precious is Fragile.”
Photo by ThomasRosenthal.de/ullstein bild via Getty Images.
Romuald Hazoumé in front of the Museum Fridericianum during the art exhibition documenta 12.
Ivory Coast
Curated by Iila Ginette Donwahi and Simon Njami, the Ivory Coast Pavilion will be flush with incredible talents working under the theme “Blue Note.” They include revered sculptor and performer Jems Koko Bi, photographers François Xavier Gbré and Franck Abd-Bakar Fanny (who passed in 2021), painter Sadikou Oukpedjo, and multimedia artist Marie Claire Messouma Manlanbien.
Photo by Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images.
Sadikou Oukpedjo answers journalists' questions while painting in his workshop in Bingerville, outside Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on September 11, 2017.
Uganda
Returning for its second straight Biennale, after debuting in 2022, Uganda’s Pavilion is themed, “Wan Acel,” Alur for “We are One.” The pavilion is curated by Acaye Kerunen, who was one of two exhibiting artists during Uganda’s Biennale debut, and will feature works from Sanaa Gateja, Taga Nuwagaba, Xenson Ssenkaaba, eco-designer Jose Hendo, Odur Ronald and the little-known Artisan Weavers’ Collective.
Photo by Arun Nevader/WireImage.
Jose Hendo walks the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2017 at Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver on March 25, 2017 in Vancouver, Canada.
Congo
Congo’s national pavilion, “RUMB’ART,” is co-curated by Michele Gervasuti and James Putnam. It will feature an expansive exhibition from eight artists, whose works reflect the natural lithium deposits in the country and the people’s relationship with those natural resources, amongst other themes. Works by André Lufwa Mauridi and Alfred Liyolo will be exhibited posthumously, while Wuma Mbambila Ndombasi, Freddy Tsimba and Franck Dikisongele are amongst the seven other exhibiting artists.
Photo by Eeric Fefeeberg/AFP via Getty Images.
This picture shows the legs of a giant sculpture made with cartridges by the Congolese artist Freddy Tsimba, inaugurated at the Palais Chaillot, in Paris, on December 6, 2018 as part of the 70th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights.
Ethiopia
Photo from Addis Fine Art Agency Website.
Ethiopia’s debut at the Venice Biennale is focused on the work of rising star, Tesfaye Urgessa.
For its debut at the Biennale, Ethiopia’s pavilion will be focused on the work of Tesfaye Urgessa. Curated by British Ethiopian author and poet Lemn Sisay (OBE), the theme is “Prejudice and Belonging,” which will be showcased by immersive paintings. A rising star in the contemporary art world, Urgessa is renowned for expressive canvases that dig into the African identity and the continent’s politics, depicting Africa both in its complexity and grandiosity.
Photo from Addis Fine Art Agency Website.
Ethiopia’s debut at the Venice Biennale is focused on the work of rising star, Tesfaye Urgessa.
Seychelles
Seychelles returns to the Biennale after its last showing in 2019. With a burgeoning art scene, bolstered by its own local biennale, the exhibiting artists have worked their way into national prominence, and will be presenting their work without a specific theme. The lineup includes Seychelles Biennale 2022 grand prize winner, Ryan Chetty, 2019 Venice Biennale representative Juliette Zelime, and Australian Seychellois artists Jude Ally and Danielle Freakley.
Zimbabwe
Commissioned by Raphael Chikukwa of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and curated by Fadzai Veronica Muchemwa, the southern African country’s participation is geared towards showcasing the engaging creativity of its artist. Titled “Undone,” the diverse lineup of exhibiting artists works across differing forms, including sculptor Moffat Takadiwa, visual artist and photographer Sekai Machache, and Troy Makaza, who makes his pieces with painted silicone ropes, and more.
Tanzania
The third African country debuting at the Venice Biennale, Tanzania’s pavilion is curated by Enrico Bittoto and is titled “Other.” Veteran visual artist Lutengano Mwakisopile and three more artists will be exhibiting, and their works will explore the relationship between man and nature. Taking an analytical approach, the country’s debut is set to be a thought-provoking showcase of creativity.
Cameroon
At its debut in 2022, Cameroon was the first country to show an official NFT exhibition. In its pavilion this year, curators Paul Emmanuel Loga Mahop and Sandro Orlandi Stagl are going for a Carbon Net Zero exhibition. Emissions will be reduced, materials will be reused and trees will be planted in Cameroon to offset CO2 emissions during the exhibition. Thirteen artists are on the exhibition bill, five of which are local artists, including the emerging collective, Kendji & Ollo Arts, organic sculptor Jean Michel Dissake, Baroque-leaning artist Patrick-Joël Tatcheda Yonkeu, and Hako Hankson. Others include Guy Wouete, Angelo Accardi, Julia Bornefeld, Cesare Catania, Adélaïde Laurent-Bellue, Franco Mazzucchelli, Rex and Edna Volcan, Giorgio Tentolini, and Liu Youju.
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