The Divine Comedy Tour - 29.07.15
Join curator Karen Milbourne for a tour of The Divine Comedy: Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell Revisited by Contemporary African Artists. Curated by the internationally acclaimed writer and art critic Simon Njami, this dramatic multi-media exhibition reveals the ongoing global relevance of Dante Alighieri’s 14th century epic as part of a shared intellectual heritage. Including original commissions and renowned works of art by approximately 40 of the most dynamic contemporary artists from 19 African nations and the diaspora, this visually stunning exhibition will be the first to take advantage of the museum’s pavilion and stairwells, as well as galleries on the first and third floors.
Celebrated artists like Julie Mehretu, Wangechi Mutu, and Yinka Shonibare MBE explore the themes of paradise, purgatory, and hell through a variety of media. In so doing, they probe diverse issues of politics, heritage, history, identity, faith, and the continued power of art to express the unspoken and intangible.
We'll all meet on the Garden (ground) level of the National Museum of African Art, near the OVS desk. For information about accessibility, please contact Kate Monsted (MonstedK@si.edu).
Image: Aida Muluneh, b. 1974, Ethiopia, The 99 series
