Photo of El Anatsui's Golden Lion Award at the 56th Venice Biennale

Okwui Enwezor with El Anatsui at the Ca' Guistinian venue of the 56th Venice Biennale Award Ceremony
Photos: Chika Okeke-Agulu

The Golden Lion

Ofodunka is An Paenhysen's "Art Blogger of the Week"!

The Berlin-based "An Paenhysen: Art Lover and Blogger" listed Ofodunka as the Art blogger of the Week! She marked this with a short interview on my work as a scholar and blogger.
Here's her intro:

"Do academia and blogging go together? Yes they do, according to Chika Okeke-Agulu, who teaches African art history and theory at Princeton University. This January he published his newest book Postcolonial Modernism: Art & Decolonization in 20th-Century Nigeria at Duke University Press. But he's also a fervent blogger (and Tweeter) and does so with a great eye for the interstices of arts and politics. Especially Nigeria is high on the list of Okeke-Agulu's interests."

Read here the rest of the interview:

Princeton African a Cappella Group performance

On Thursday night, I was invited by one of my students Akua Bankful to the end-of-year performance by her campus-based group, Princeton African a Cappella. What a delight it was to see these young men and women, including graduating seniors like Akua who have just turned in their honors theses, show their mettle as singers and performers. I saw Wendy Li and Faridah Folawiyo, Akua's mates in my "Art and Politics in Postcolonial Africa" seminar. Despite the unexpectedly windy and cold weather, the program--which included spirited performances of songs by Kenyan Sauti Sol, South African Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Nigerian Asa and Duncan Mighty/Davido, and some original works by the group's members--kept the evening warm! Their performance of Nkosi Sikeli'Afrika (the ANC/South African anthem) brought back memories of Nsukka days when our drama group--led by Greg Mbajiorgu--performed "Freedom Charter" in the Art Theatre.

"Nkosi Sikelel'iAfrika!"

Trio performs "Loliwe" by Zahara

Yaw Owusu-Boahen takes the mic

Achille leads their reprise of "Obianuju" by Duncan Mighty and Davido

Closing dance

Ekua Bankful and Wendy Li

1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair hosts FORUM in New York City, May 15-17, 2015

1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair hosts FORUM, an extensive programme of artist talks, panel discussions and lectures during its New York debut 15–16 May 2015. Forum will be held at Pioneer Works in Red Hook, Brooklyn alongside the fair 15–17 May. Curated by Koyo Kouoh, Artistic Director of RAW Material Company, FORUM aims to stimulate discussion and debate with some of the art world’s most inspirational players. The New York iteration looks to reexamine present and future notions of 21st century African diasporic identities as traversed, negotiated and performed in the arenas of intellectual, cultural and artistic practices. A special focus will be given to important voices active in these fields across the last 35 years. Admission to FORUM events are free with any ticket to 1:54 NY, Frieze NY, or a VIP Pass (1:54/Frieze), but guests must reserve their seats at 154.eventbrite.com due to a limited capacity. Full Programme – 1:54 FORUM NY: Friday, May 15  1:00–1:25 PM: Opening remarks by Koyo Kouoh  Artistic Director RAW Material Company and Curator of FORUM Education Program 1:54. 1:30–2:30 PM: Keynote Address: Black Aesthetics Unbound Delivered by Margo Natalie Crawford, Associate Professor in the Department of English at Cornell University. Followed by a Q & A. 2:45–4:00 PM: Panel: Global Black Subjectivities: Here and Now This panel centres on cultural belonging in the artistic arena with discussants Naima J. Keith, Associate Curator at The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; Rujeko Hockley, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum, New York; and artist Julie Mehretu. Moderated by Chika Okeke-Agulu, artist, curator, and Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Archaeology, and Center for African American Studies at Princeton University.    4:15–5:30 PM: Artist Talk Adrienne Edwards, Curator, Performa is in conversation with artists Hank Willis Thomas and Lyle Ashton Harris to consider the semantics of the term ‘diaspora’ in relation to contemporary art practice. 5:45–6:45 PM: Artist Talk  Dexter Wimberly, independent curator and Director of Strategic Planning at Independent Curators International (ICI) is in conversation with artists Meleko Mokgosi and Lavar Munroe to consider the semantics of the term ‘diaspora’ in relation to contemporary art practice. Saturday, May 16  1:15–2:30 PM: Panel: Cultural Specific Curating in Institutions Representing MoMA, Newark Museum and LACMA respectively are discussants Thomas J. Lax, Associate Curator in the Department of Media and Performance Art at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; Christa Clarke, Senior Curator, Arts of Global Africa at Newark Museum; and Franklin Sirmans, Terri and Michael Smooke Curator and Department Head, Contemporary Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Moderated by Steven Nelson, Professor of African and African American Art History at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). 3:00–4:15 PM: Discussion: Breaking the Ice Christian Haye, art dealer and Founder of The Project is in conversation with artist Melvin Edwards to discuss the historical and political legacies played by the pioneering galleries Just Above Midtown (JAM) founded by Linda Goode Bryant (1974-1986) and Haye’s The Project (1998-2009), as critical platforms for African and African American artists. Moderated by Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi, Curator of African Art at the Hood Museum, Dartmouth College, Hanover. 4:30–5:45 PM: Gallery Talk With discussants Mariane Ibrahim-Lenhardt, Director of Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Seattle, and Lisa Brittan, Director of Axis Gallery, New York. Moderated by Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi, Curator of African Art at the Hood Museum, Dartmouth College, Hanover. 6:00–6:45 PM: Book Launch: Exhibition Catalogue Body Talk: Feminism, Sexuality and the Body in the Work of Six African Women Artists (2015) with curator Koyo Kouoh and participating artist Marcia Kure. Location: Pioneer Works 159 Pioneer Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 Opening Hours: Friday 15 May, 12–8pm Saturday 16 May 12–8pm Sunday 17 May 12–6pm Admission: Day pass: $10 / Students: $5 Gabriella Beckhurst Programme Assistant 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair Somerset House, South Wing Strand, London WC2R 1LA +44 (0)7970 181761 Email: gabriella@1-54.com  Visit the website at http://1-54.com

Aljira Benefit Auction, May 21, 2015

As part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, the Newark-based Aljira: a Center for Contemporary Art, one of the leading supporters of artists of color in the US North East, will be holding an art auction on May 21, 2015. The auction list includes work by well-known names, such as David Salle, Wangechi Mutu, Mickalene Thomas, Hank Willis Thomas, Marcia Kure, Philip Akkerman, Dawoud Bey, Frank Bowling, and many more.

This year, Aljira will honor the photo artist Dawoud Bey and Okwui Enwezor for their work. I have to be there!

Anatsui Wins the Venice Biennale's Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement!

Photo: Chika Okeke-Agulu

Congratulations, El for this most deserved award! It is an honor to count you as a teacher, colleague and friend, and an artist who has, like no one practicing today, redefined sculpture as an artistic genre. Go on, ride the long tide of history!

Conversation with Anatsui: VENUE CHANGE!

The venue for my conversation with El Anatsui, which takes place 5PM tomorrow, April 23, has changed. If you plan to attend, please note that it will now hold in McCosh 10. If you can't come, it will be streamed live on Princeton's Media Central. To log on at 5PM please go to the Media Central Site.
If you miss the livestream, the video will be uploaded on the Center for African American Studies  Youtube channel in twenty four hours.