Largest African art exhibition at Saint Louis Art Museum being staged
The Saint Louis Art Museum presents “Narrative Wisdom and African Arts,” an exhibition bringing together a rich variety of sculptures, textiles, works on paper, photography, painting and time-based media created by artists from across sub-Saharan Africa as well as contemporary African artists working globally. The exhibition considers how historic and contemporary works—ranging from the 13th to 21st centuries—facilitate, document, reinforce or critique narratives such as leadership legitimacy, memory of place, prescriptions for healing and destiny, and enduring ancestral wisdoms.
The largest African art exhibition to be organized by SLAM, with approximately 150 works, the show will also include 18 recent acquisitions by the museum. The exhibition will be on view October 19, 2024 through February 16, 2025. Admission to the museum is free.
“ ʻNarrative Wisdom’ provides an opportunity for audiences to appreciate deep connections between visual and verbal storytelling in African art from across a range of times and geographies,” Nichole N. Bridges, SLAM’s curator of African art and the curator for the exhibition, said. “By bringing together sacred and ceremonial objects with everyday pieces, unique objects with mass-produced items, and contemporary art with works from the 19th century and earlier, this exhibition will help audiences see more clearly the connections between these important, recurring themes and their enduring relevance.”
