DEKAT DIGITAL 2019 - 2020

In the 21st century there have been no fewer than 17 African biennales, including the East African
Biennale, the Kampala Art Biennale, the Casablanca and Marrakesh Biennales and the Congo Biennale.
African countries are increasingly making a noticeable impact at the Venice Biennale, arguably the
Olympics of the art world. In 2013, the Angolan pavilion won the Golden Lion for best pavilion, and
in 2017, the South African pavilion was considered one of the top 10 exhibits. In 2019, the Ghanaian
exhibition, which featured the works of El Anatsui, was widely regarded as one of the most interesting
shows at the event. During the Venice Biennale, an active platform known as The African Forum organises
incisive talks and discussion programmes about Contemporary African Art.
The Joburg Art Fair has been staged since 2008 and the Cape Town Art Fair since 2011. The aim of
these two major events on the South African arts calendar is to promote Contemporary African Art. Many
African galleries participate and European galleries specialising in Contemporary African Art exhibit regularly.
Internationally, however, the most important fair is the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair (named for 1
continent, 54 countries), which had its first iteration in 2013 at Somerset House in London. It was so popular
with the global art community that another edition was launched in New York in 2015, and most recently,
in 2018, another in Marrakesh, Morocco. In 2016, the AKAA (Also Known As Africa) joined the ranks of
important art fairs. Held in Paris, it is the only art fair in France devoted to contemporary art and design centred
on Africa. The new kid on the block is Latitudes: A New Fair for Art from Africa, which celebrated its first edition
in Johannesburg in September 2019.
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