Contemporary African Art Exhibition Series

‘Africa Uploaded’ by Curator Annabelle Nwankwo - Mu'azu

Posted on 07 December, 2010

For as long as there have been cameras in existence, Africans have been documenting the personal, social, cultural and political histories of the continent. For the African artist the camera has been the perfect medium to explore fervently and dynamically a creative direction and a visionary discourse, liberating and pushing original thought to new and exciting levels.

On embarking on Africa Uploaded, the desire was to capture within the space a moment of time, unique to the artist, a moment that was a pure reflection of how they see their existence as documenters of their Africa. All the artists project an image of Africa that mainstream media actively ignore. This is an Africa that is vibrantly inspiring, an Africa that is sensitively engaging, and breathtakingly revolutionary when seemly retrograde in its structures, and always intoxicating.

Africa Uploaded focuses on a selection of artists that question and search beyond documentation to produce work that is compelling, original and profoundly honest.

Photography is a passion for all the Africa Uploaded artists, a creative source that runs through their veins. Propelling them to create and document, these artists are conveyers of the human experiences and in so doing speak of all humanity, not just of Africa. However, Africa is the enigmatic pulse, the starting and the ending. Africa Uploaded is a fitting launch to the series, As It Is! It encapsulates the project perfectly, paying tribute to the amazing talent that emulates from a continent, widely marginalised in the international art market. But a continent that continues to forge forward on an unstoppable path, irrespective of challenges, breaking barrier and rejecting stereotypes. For a project of this kind to be taking place in Dubai for the first time signifies a desire to build connections with a culture that holds many similarities. It’s about a desire to further humankind and for African artists to be seen on an international platform, but on Africa’s terms.

About Annabelle Nwankwo - Mu'azu

Annabelle Nwankwo-Mu’azu is an independent curator & consultant specialising in the promotion of art from Africa and the Diaspora. She has been engaged in addressing how artists of African descent have been and are represented in the international art forum for 15 years.

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