Presenting the arts of Africa and partnering with colleagues and institutions on the continent—and in diasporic communities—has long been a priority for The Met. To further this engagement, I am pleased to announce that The Met is launching Africa in Focus, an initiative that spotlights the importance of African art in the context of The Met collection and programs, and more broadly in the global history of art.
Marking a moment in which we’re looking ahead to the spring 2025 reopening of our galleries for African art as part of the reenvisioning of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, Africa in Focus encompasses a comprehensive scope of exhibitions, partnerships, and programs that reflect the Museum’s ongoing commitment to studying and presenting the arts of Africa. The initiative also highlights the collaborations we are currently undertaking with experts and organizations across Africa, which build on decades of efforts in this area and that support the many initiatives we are planning for the future.
Works that reflect the significance, creativity, and vibrancy of artists active across the African continent can be seen in many galleries within The Met’s vast geography. Even now, while the galleries for African art are closed for the extensive renovation of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, The Met is currently presenting a number of exhibitions and displays of African art, from the newly opened exhibition Africa & Byzantium, to the ongoing exhibitions and installations The African Origin of Civilization and Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room. The breadth of African creativity should not be limited to the galleries dedicated to the regions, but instead be shown within the broader context of the Museum. So, you will see African art in galleries focused on Islamic Art, arms and armor, musical instruments, European sculpture and decorative arts, modern and contemporary, and many others.
The Met regularly hosts events, talks, and activities that celebrate art from Africa. Just this week we hosted a discussion between leading experts, artists, and architects on the care of significant cultural heritage sites including Lalibela and Tigray in Ethiopia and the Wamala and Kasubi Tombs of the Kingdom of Buganda in Uganda. The program was part of the collaborative effort between The Met and World Monuments Fund (WMF) to create new digital and in-gallery video content that will reframe the Museum’s African art galleries and provide a rich visual understanding of Africa’s diverse cultural landscapes in the new Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. And on December 1, The Met will present Artists on Artworks—Africa & Byzantium in which artists Azza El Siddique, Theo Eshetu, and Tsedaye Makonnen will reflect on works in the exhibition Africa & Byzantium and make connections to their own artistic practices.
The Met is also engaged in a number of important partnerships, including with Nigeria’s National Commission of Museums and Monuments, as part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2021. And through a new African Art Residency program, which supports significant research and dialogue with colleagues from the continent, we're deepening our appreciation of the works and the cultural diversity of the region. These residencies build on decades of academic fellowships at The Met for a distinguished international cohort of Africanists, working directly alongside the African art collection.
All of this activity is now compiled in a new online feature, Africa in Focus, which includes an archive of past, current, and upcoming exhibitions, programs, publications, partnerships, and much more. It will continue to be updated and expanded upon in the lead-up to the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing’s reopening, with further resources and materials that share our strong foundation of engagement as well as upcoming initiatives. I invite you to explore this exciting and dynamic new resource.
