Beyond the Black Atlantic

By showing Beyond the Black Atlantic, the Kunstverein Hannover showcases four young artists who use various media to address several aspects surrounding the Western Eurocentric, often prejudiced notion of Blackness. The confrontation with those prejudices such as a supposedly homogeneous African culture has become more relevant and explosive in recent years in the wake of certain current global events.

The group exhibition in the Kunstverein Hannover aims to present the idea of a global Black identity from the perspective of contemporary art.

Coined in the mid-1990s by British sociologist Paul Gilroy, the term “Black Atlantic” denotes the idea that there is not one African culture in the sense of a phenomenon that can be clearly assigned to a specific territory; what we find instead is a combination of African, American, Caribbean, or British influences that has its origin in the countries bordering the Atlantic. While previous approaches to the topic were dominated by a historical perspective, a current take has emerged in the area of contemporary art. Social conflicts in Western societies previously thought to have been overcome—such as those in the United States—have raised new awareness among proponents of the Black Community and simultaneously brought the notion of a “Black Atlantic” back into focus. This renewed grappling with the cultural heritage of the African continent also comes through in the work of a generation of young artists who have assumed this new (self-)perception of Blackness.

Invited artists Sandra Mujinga (b. 1989, Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo), Paulo Nazareth (b. 1977, Governador Valadares, Brazil), Tschabalala Self (b. 1990, New York City, USA), and Kemang Wa Lehulere (b. 1984, Cape Town, South Africa) reflect in their works the still difficult confrontation with topics of gender, skin color, origin, and sexual orientation in their respective homelands whilst at the same time, by virtue of their own backgrounds, being direct protagonists and witnesses of the constant change in the way society views the Black Community. The works on display present a complex picture of this topic and cover a broad range of artistic media including photography, film, installation, painting and sculpture. A publication is planned for the exhibition that will focus even more strongly on the mentioned subject.

The Kunstverein will be hosting a “Summer School” for the duration of the exhibition which will be held April 14th to 18th and is sponsored by the Volkswagen Foundation. Titled Anthropology and Contemporary Visual Arts from the Black Atlantic, the one-week conference will feature a distinguished selection of international scholars. The exhibition and Summer School will further be accompanied by films screened at the Kommunales Kino, a cinema at the Künstlerhaus. The described concept and supporting program provide yet another opportunity for interdisciplinary, productive exchange at Kunstverein Hannover.

Curated by Sergey Harutoonian (curator Kunstverein Hannover)

Press: Leandra Busch

With the kind support of: Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony, German Federal Cultural Foundation; The Kunstverein is permanently supported by the Culture Office of the Landeshauptstadt Hannover