African artists will be on display in London this summer, at the prestigious and irreplaceable Tate Modern.
It is led by Benin-born artist Meschac Gaba and his initiative from The Netherlands 'The Museum of Contemporary African Art'.
Presentation:
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"When you want to build a museum, you need the building, you need an architect. I’ve been my own architect but I invite the public to build it with me".
Meschac Gaba
Immerse yourself in Meschac Gaba’s Museum of Contemporary African Art 1997–2002, a 12-room installation which reflects on the nature of the museum and blurs the boundaries between art and the everyday.
Constructed over a five year period this multi-layered, humorous and questioning work contains a vast array of made and found objects from paintings, sculptures, drawings and videos to musical instruments, religious objects and shredded banknotes, all carefully arranged in the style of a West African market.
Explore the 12 rooms and discover the different aspects of what Gaba believes to be a core part of the museum experience. Some of the sections, such as theMuseum Shop, Library and Restaurant represent familiar concepts, even if the way they are realised is unfamiliar. Other sections such as the Marriage Room,Game Room and Salon offer visitors alternative environments for research, play, reflection and social interaction.
The inclusion of several rooms from the Museum of Contemporary African Art in Documenta XI in 2002 cemented Gaba’s reputation as one of the most important African artists working today.
This free exhibition marks Tate’s acquisition of the Museum of Contemporary African Art and will be the first time it is shown in its entirety in the UK.
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Talk:
Wednesday 3 July 2013, 18.30 – 21.00
This event is a special occasion to mark Tate’s largest acquisition and display of Meschac Gaba’s complex work titled: Museum of Contemporary African Art 1997-2002.
The Tate organises this unique opportunity to hear the artist talk to Tate Modern’s Director, Chris Dercon about this work, the significance of its display at the Tate Modern and where it fits within his practice more broadly.
More on Meschac Gaba:
Born in 1961 in Cotonou, Benin, Meschac Gaba now lives and works in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Gaba emerged onto the international art scene with his twelve-part project The Museum of Contemporary African Art, 1997-2002, which concluded at Documenta XI, Kassel, Germany.
Through a broad range of artistic strategies, Gaba explores globalism, economic power, commercialism, public space and the role of the western museum. His work has been included in the Dutch Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, 2003, Africa Remix, 2004-2005 and will feature in the 2006 Sydney and Sao Paulo Biennales.
http://www.latriennale.org/fr/artistes/meshac-gaba
http://www.paris-art.com/createur/meschac-gaba/2109.html
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