Museum Rietberg unmasks African art

Zurich, 18 March 2014,

Museum Rietberg unmasks African art

The exhibition “African Masters – Art from the Ivory Coast” at Zurich’s Museum Rietberg is to run until 1 June 2014.

In an attempt to shed light on the diverse artistic offering of 200 years of African art, the exhibition looks at the works of around 200 or so West African artists whose significant contribution to African art has had a global influence. Taking its focus from the Ivory Coast and its neighbouring countries, the exhibition presents works by masters of the Guro, Baule, Dan, Senufo, Lobi and Lagoon peoples, whose artistic output most frequently manifested itself in masks and sculptures, dating back to the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.

The exhibition aims to quash certain stereotypes which, to this day, tarnish the continent’s artistic offering, notably the perceived absence of aesthetic principals, originality and creativity. Benefiting from an in-depth study of African art, “African Masters – Art from the Ivory Coast” rejects the idea that the artists – although frequently anonymous – pertain to a singular idea and style. The exhibition serves as an exploration into the artists’ integral roles in their society.