Gavin Jantjes, Untitled, 1989–1990, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution,purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, 96-23-1
Photograph by Franko Khoury.
“African Cosmos: Stellar Arts” at the Newark Museum
African Cosmos: Stellar Arts – LACMA ‘African Cosmos: Stellar Arts’ is the first major exhibition to explore the historical legacy of African cultural astronomy and its intersection with traditional and contemporary African arts. LACMA Los Angeles, August 24–November 30, 2014.]]>
Source: LACMA
Documented since the kingdoms of ancient Egypt, for thousands of years Africans throughoutthe continent have contemplated the celestial firmament and conceived stories about theheavenly bodies. People of many cultures have used such observations to navigate theirphysical environments and to regulate agricultural and ritual calendars.
“African Cosmos” considers how the sun, moon, and stars, as well as ephemeral phenomenasuch as lightning and thunder, serve as sources of philosophical contemplation in the creationof arts from historical times to the present. Far from abstract concepts, African notions of theuniverse can be intensely personal, placing human beings in relationships with earth and sky.This is expressed in the exhibition through a culturally diverse selection of works including 40objects in wood, stone, beadwork, silver, gold, and bronze, and ranging from ancient Egyptiansculptures to traditional Dogon masks of Mali, Yoruba divination instruments of Nigeria toevocative creations by contemporary South African artists who still look to the cosmos forinspiration today.
“African Cosmos” also includes a time-based work titled “Deep Survey” (2009), whichrepresents a remarkable collaboration among one hundred scientists and South African artistKarel Nel. The work was made using scientific data, video animation, and sound to evokemoving into deep space.
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