Ideas worth spreading

Inside Africa's thriving art scene

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Touria El Glaoui |

TEDGlobal 2017

• August 2017

Art fair curator Touria El Glaoui is on a mission to showcase vital new art from African nations and the diaspora. She shares beautiful, inspiring, thrilling contemporary art that tells powerful stories of African identity and history -- including works by Senegalese photographer Omar Victor Diop, Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj and Zimbabwean painter Kudzanai-Violet Hwami. "It is really through art that we can regain our sense of agency and empowerment," El Glaoui says. "It is through art that we can really tell our own story."

Art fair curator Touria El Glaoui is on a mission to showcase vital new art from African nations and the diaspora. She shares beautiful, inspiring, thrilling contemporary art that tells powerful stories of African identity and history -- including works by Senegalese photographer Omar Victor Diop, Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj and Zimbabwean painter Kudzanai-Violet Hwami. "It is really through art that we can regain our sense of agency and empowerment," El Glaoui says. "It is through art that we can really tell our own story."

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, an international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora with annual editions in London, New York and Marrakech. Drawing reference to the 54 countries that constitute the African continent, 1-54 is a sustainable and dynamic platform that is engaged in contemporary dialogue and exchange.

About the speaker

Touria El Glaoui

Touria El Glaoui

Art fair curator

See speaker profile

To showcase vital new art from African nations and the diaspora, Touria El Glaoui founded the powerhouse 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair.

Okwui Enwezor and Chika Okeke-Agulu | Damiani, 2009 | Book

Contemporary African Art Since 1980

This book is one of the first major surveys of contemporary artists of Africa and its diaspora. It is a wonderful introduction to some of the most prolific artists and their practices, contextualized within the socio-political shifts of the time. The artwork images are also a feast for the eyes, something one can return to time and again.

Jean-Hubert Martin, Jean Loup Amselle and Simon Njami | Book

Africa Remix: Contemporary Art of a Continent

Africa Remix was a seminal traveling exhibition curated by the well renowned Simon Njami. The exhibition was extensive, touring in Europe and Africa, and it featured not only art but film, documentary photography, fashion, music and literature. This publication celebrates an exhibition which I believe made a significant contribution to contemporary art discourse.

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Chimurenga is a multidisciplinary platform and pan-African art, culture and politics publication. The various initiatives that the platform drives are on the pulse, a nod to the past and a glimpse into the future of Africa-centered thought. Their alternatively compiled publications can be sourced through their website.

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Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art

Nka was founded in 1994 and has continually produced critically engaging content. It has been pivotal in the shaping ideas around contemporary African art.

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Contemporary And

Contemporary And is an international platform dedicated to contemporary art from diverse African perspectives. The platform has various facets, but one of the highlights is their online and print publication. It provides compelling critical essays, columns and reviews that keep you up to date with what is happening in the art world. It also publishes articles in English, French and German, which I appreciate.

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Revue Noire was a quarterly printed magazine dedicated to African contemporary art, published from 1991 to 2001. The issues are still available in print or digital form on their website. It is well worth exploring this archive of contemporary history.

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1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

1-54 is an international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora with annual editions in London, New York and Marrakech. Drawing reference to the 54 countries that constitute the African continent, 1-54 is a sustainable and dynamic platform that is engaged in contemporary dialogue and exchange. Find out more about what 1-54 does and explore the archive of artist profiles, special projects and talks programmes that have made each edition a unique experience.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, an international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora with annual editions in London, New York and Marrakech. Drawing reference to the 54 countries that constitute the African continent, 1-54 is a sustainable and dynamic platform that is engaged in contemporary dialogue and exchange.