Forum for African Arts was established by the internationally acclaimed Ghanaian artist El Anatsui in 1999. Initiated with the mission to secure and sustain the presence of African artists and art in Venice, the Forum organized two influential exhibitions, Authentic/Ex-centric: Conceptualism in Contemporary African Art curated by its notable members and fellows, Salah M. Hassan and Olu Oguib, in 2001 and Fault lines: Contemporary African Art and Shifting Landscapes by the founding director of Iniva (Institute for International Visual Arts), Gilane Tawadros, in 2003.