AFRICA UNIVERSE | CHAPTER 1

Primo Marella Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition Africa Universe. Chapter 1, Januario Jano: “Anthropocene”, the first part of a group show, entirely dedicated to Contemporary African Art. The exhibition will include the work of artists such as Joël Andrianomearisoa, Ifeoma U. Anyaeji, Amani Bodo, Abdoulaye Konaté, Troy Makaza, Cristiano Mangovo, Marie-Claire Messouma Manlanbien, Cameron Platter, Ghizlane Sahli and Amina Zoubir.

 

Africa Universeis a monumental project divided in three chapters - exhibitions, which Primo Marella Gallery will host in the following months. Each show is dedicated to a particular artist and the first chapter of this artistic journey will start with the work of Januario Jano (1979), a multi-disciplinary Angolan artist. In his paintings, installations, photographs and performances, Jano explores the opposing notions of modern pop culture and traditional practices: “Research is at the center of my artistic practice. My interest is in the concepts of home and self, inspired by my background and globalization”. The human being and the notion of the body play a crucial role in his artistic research through which he tries to connect the present and the past in order to build a sort of historical narrative. “Objectifying the body is one of the core element predominant in my practice, hence the need to re-live the past seems to be associated with the creation of identity consists of multiple factors including gender, race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality. Seduced with the parallel between fiction and reality as the work itself has this ambivalence to it, that creates the intersection to exploring the subjects around the body and its representation occur within the increasingly globalized and cross-cultural dimension”, that dimension that is our current geological era, the human-influenced epoch, the “Anthropocene”.

 

In support of this exhibition, Primae Noctis Art Gallery in Lugano will present the same project, including other works of participating artists in order to further stimulate the public discourse about Contemporary African Art and its caleidoscpic universe.

 

In addition, we are glad to announce that many of the artists involved in the Africa Universeexhibition will be also participating in the show AFRICA NOW, which will open at the MO.CA in Brescia, starting from November 15th, 2019.

 

The next two chapters of Africa Universe will be dedicated to Troy Makaza (1995 - Harare, Zimbawe) and Cristiano Mangovo (1982 – Cabinda, Angola), which will be respectively exhibited in November and December 2019.