African Art Dialogues

African Art Dialogues is a non-for-profit organization registered in Italy. We believe in a world enriched by a broader spectrum of creative practices and cultural dialogues. We advocate for a more diverse, inclusive, and balanced art ecosystem that nourishes the human ability to address individual, societal and global issues of our time. All of our members serve on a pro-bono basis.

Our main program is the African Art in Venice Forum, born in 2017 to activate our vision and provide a dedicated platform during the opening week of the Venice Biennale that could help pave the way for the development of thorough, nuanced and inclusive conversations on contemporary art relating to Africa and its diasporas.

OUR MISSION

Creation of a programmatic platform for dialogue, aimed to foster the diffusion of contemporary art inherent to Africa and the related diasporas

Expansion of the professional, geographical and social access to knowledge and dialogue concerning contemporary African art

Strengthening the ecosystem of relations among art professionals, scholars and social and cultural stakeholders coming from and/or operating on the continent and in diasporic contexts

Contribute to the professional development in the above-mentioned ecosystem

OUR MAIN PROGRAM: THE AFRICAN ART IN VENICE FORUM

Every two years, with the Venice Biennale, Venice becomes the capital of contemporary art. However, numerous regional and cultural areas are still excluded from this conversation. Gathering the necessary support to set up a national pavilion at the Venice Biennale remains an overwhelming challenge for many countries, especially those experiencing socio-economic constraints and political instabilities.

The African Art in Venice Forum (AAVF) was born in 2017 with the aim of bringing together in Venice the unrepresented voices of the contemporary African art ecosystem, present their creative message, and open a broader cultural dialogue during the opening of the Biennale. In its first edition, a varied range of more than 1,000 art professionals, lovers and researchers gathered around this free, open and inclusive platform with enthusiasm and passion. Over 75 speakers from 5 different continents contributed with their ideas, knowledge and experience to the success of the AAVF. Lasting connections were forged; a lively community for discussion and knowledge-exchange was born; and many described the initiative as a transformational experience.

The African Art in Venice Forum (AAVF) is a multi-day public platform presented during the opening week of the Biennale d'Arte di Venezia with the aim of providing new opportunities of exchange and visibility for contemporary art from Africa and its diasporas in the cultural and infrastructural context of the Venice Biennale. As art professionals gather from all over the world to attend the Biennale, many countries are made invisible by the lack of national pavilions and projects transversally representing regional, cultural, or historical components stemming from the African continent. The vast community gathering around the AAVF demonstrates the need for innovative, open and accessible platforms to expand the dialogue around contemporary African art.

OUR MEMBERS

Ilaria Conti, Founding Member

Lupo Geronazzo Alman, Founding Member

Attilio Meoli, Founding Member

Azza Satti, Founding Member

Alexandra Topalsky, Founding Member

Neri Torcello, Founding Member

Georgiana Ward-Booth, Founding Member