Paris, 11 March 2014,

Two exhibitions are currently on display at the Musée du Quai Branly, from 4 March 2014 until 18 May 2014 in Paris. They are entitled: ” ‘Black Atlantic’ by Nancy Cunard, Negro Anthology (1931-1934)” and “Sacred Wood, Initiation in the Guinean Forests”.

Both exhibitions evoke the African continent, approached from very different perspectives. “Black Atlantic” presents the seminal work by Nancy Cunard, a French intellectual figure who came to prominence in the 20th-century, and whose contribution was of particular importance in the 1920s. The title of the exhibition alludes to the title of her work Negro Anthology (1934). The exhibition reveals a range of different facets to this complex personality — anti-conformist, collector, editor, militant, journalist etc. — drawing from Negro Anthology in its reflection of her desire to counteract racism. The curator of the exhibition is Sarah Frioux-Salgas.

The second exhibition, “Sacred Wood” presents around 60 works, including a variety of masks (Angbaï, Bakorogui, Okobuzogui and Dandai) as well as presenting a collection of figurines and statues. Its aim is to evoke the mystery and secrecy surrounding the Poro, the initiation ceremony in place in certain countries of West Africa. The curator of the exhibition is Aurélien Gaborit.