Can contemporary art help mend the relationship between China and Africa?
African artists are using their works to define their continent’s sometimes fraught relationship with China, a big investor, while Chinese collectors, like some in the West, are turning to African art, writes Melissa Twigg
Africa is being picked over again, but this time it isn’t for diamonds, gold or ivory.
International art collectors have turned their attention to the continent and found a sophisticated market brimming with talent, finally putting an end to the idea that African art is about little more than wooden masks, woven mats and tribal figurines. Instead, today’s African artists are exploring potent issues such as rape, poverty and Chinese immigration. As the Asian art market slows, Africa’s appears willing and able to fill the gap.
China and Africa have a complex relationship. Beijing has invested heavily in the continent but, alongside immense improvements to local infrastructure, China’s presence has brought accusations of corruption, bribery and environmental destruction. Just as the West is embracing African art, so Chinese collectors have started looking to the continent for cultural as well as business reasons, adding a welcome new dimension to their fractious union.
Playing a central role in bringing African art to the fore is Touria el Glaoui, the daughter of Moroccan artist Hassan el Glaoui. In 2013, she launched the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair (named for the 54 countries in Africa) in London.
“Previously there was nowhere for African artists to come together and present their work,” she says. “Africa is a vast continent made up of 1.2 billion people and hundreds of languages, so it is very difficult to classify it all under one blanket term. What we are trying to do is create a platform for talented artists who have not previously had one. I have been astounded by the energy, interest and overall success of it and I am determined to keep expanding the art world’s knowledge of Africa.”
