Africa unmasked at the Tate: The continent through its own lens

A remarkable new exhibition showcasing contemporary African photography - looking at Africa's past, present and future through the lenses of artists from the continent - has opened in London.

Jul 23, 2023 - 13:40

Image caption,
Mozambican Mário Macilau's Breaking News (The Profit Corner series, 2015). Courtesy Ed Cross Fine Art

Installation view, A World In Common: Contemporary African Photography at the Tate Modern 2023 — Image caption,
Ruth Ossai's work A World In Common at the Tate Modern

Image caption,
Zimbabwean photographer Kudzanai Chiurai's We Live in Silence IV (2017). Courtesy of the artist and Goodman Gallery

The task of distilling the complexity and diversity of this expansive continent is no small feat. But through his deft curation, Osei has pulled off a visual feast, creating a vivid tapestry that thrusts contemporary African art firmly into the global centre.

Speaking to the BBC, he explained how his thematic approach allows examination of how the continent's "shared histories" - from its colonial experience to post-independence revolutionary movements and its urban future - had "shaped and reshaped" how people in Africa see themselves and their place in the world.