Lobi
Burkina Faso
Figure, middle of the 20th century
Metal
The Christina N. and Swan J. Turnblad Memorial Fund 98.48.2

iAfrica: Connecting with Sub-Saharan Art

Saturday, October 3, 2009—Sunday, April 18, 2010
Cargill Gallery 103
Free Exhibition

How do curators rethink a collection and how it is viewed and understood? An experiment of ways to display and explain African art, this exhibition of about 28 objects, primarily sculptures, brings that process to the fore. Drawn mainly from the MIA's permanent collection, the objects are shown in a range of settings and explore varying degrees of accessibility, the usefulness of contextual sensory and written information, and the ways in which audiovisual aids can enrich understanding.

What's more, your reactions, criticism, and suggestions will play a crucial role in this exhibition. Visitor feedback will inform the innovative interpretations and novel technologies to be incorporated into the reinstallation of the museum's African galleries in the near future.

Click here to download the iAfrica iPhone application.

Click here to visit an online version of the exhibition at ArtsConnectEd.org.

Click here to explore a Google map of Africa that shows the point of origin for each of the objects in this exhibition.

Support for "iAfrica: Connecting with Sub-Saharan Art" is provided by The Wallace Foundation Excellence Award grant.

Africa

museum-wide

Cross the African continent for a fun-filled day! Join master drummer Francis Kofi for a drum workshop and learn about west African rhythms. Trek to Morocco and create fabulous jewelry inspired by objects in the museum's collection. Visit Somalia and discover cultural traditions through song, dance, and stories. Listen to Central and South African sounds with traditional music group Congo Lion. Plus, learn about African textiles, make a lamellophone (thumb piano), and much more!