Contemporary African Art Practices in a Globalized World

Migration, identity, cultural connections: globalization raises questions about all these issues, and contemporary art is a powerful way of exploring them. In this talk complementing the Museum exhibitions Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time and Building Black: Civilizations,  artists and curators explore the impact on contemporary art of Africa’s diverse cultures and diaspora.

Visual artist Ekow Nimako, creator of Building Black: Civilizations, is joined by AGO curator Julie Crooks and artist/curator Chiedza Pasipanodya for a timely discussion that will celebrate Black History Month while also examining Toronto’s role as an international hub for creative art practices.

BIOS: 

Julie Crooks is Assistant Curator, Photography, at the Art Gallery of Ontario, where, prior to her appointment, she was an advisor on the 2015 exhibition Jean-Michel Basquiat: Now’s the Time. She received her Ph.D. in the Department of History of Art and Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, where her research focused on historical photography in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and the diaspora. 

Ekow Nimako studied Fine Arts at York University and began using black LEGO® pieces exclusively in his practice in 2014. He has since cultivated a unique approach to building the iconic material with masterful attention to fluidity and form. His content is deeply rooted in otherworldly Black narratives and draws on his fascination with architecture, futuristic cultures, and ancient civilizations. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

Chiedza Pasipanodya is an artist, curator, and writer born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and now living in Toronto. She holds a BFA from OCAD University, where her thesis was titled New Perspectives on Black Women Artists in Canada Participating in the Arts for The Long Term, and where she won an award for work that redefines the meaning of community. She has worked with the AGO, the ROM, Pride Toronto, OCAD, and York and Ryerson universities.