In the name of Africa, by Mo Laudi

You can now see the world through a pan-African lens at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Saint-Étienne, France. If you haven’t yet had the chance to embark on a spiritual journey through African territory, we have good news for you: there is an exhibition that takes you there, at least until the 16th of October. Colour, history and inclusion are the three guarantees given by the 19 artists who have brought to life a distinct philosophy, translated into works of art.

Seeing the world through a pan-African lens

Recounting African history from an alternative viewpoint was the starting point for Mo Laudi, the curator of the exhibition. In fact, the very name of the exhibition, Globalisto, a philosophy in flux is unique, since Mo Laudi created the term "globalisto” to intensify the observer’s experience, offering details that allow them to see the world in different ways. This desire to transpose people into a different universe, without preconceived ideas, arose from the non-conformity of his country’s history. The writing of history happens through the "eyes” of Europe which, according to the exhibition’s curator, results in a perspective centred in the West. The South African believes that one of the victims of this fact is his homeland, noting a marked European tendency to look at the world, hence his desire to create a unique place, without borders, as even the borders of his country were created by European powers. With the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, the artist became aware of the social impact that the scrutinising of situations generated, as it showed to humanity the discrimination that still persists. At that time, his idea was already starting to gain more strength and consistency.

Nineteen artists who have brought to life a distinct philosophy

The exhibition features artists from different generations, who question the reality in which they are located, from the political system to biopolitics. Gerard Sekoto, Jamika Ajalon, Sammy Baloji and Elsa M’Bala are some of the talents present at the Saint-Étienne museum. You will also find various works by activists, poets and philosophers which, as a whole, complement each other in a moving exhibition. Marie Aimée Fattouche, for example, developed her art expression from 3D images, 3D models and family archives about ancestral rituals, African mythology, science and philosophy. Raphaël Barontini, on the other hand, was inspired by the history of African art, presenting us with both real and imaginary heroes, via textiles that incorporate a collage. An exciting interaction between scale, colours and patterns.
All that remains is an invitation to Globalisto, a philosophy in flux, the exhibition that will make you question life and the world around you and, to spur you on in the right measure, we leave you with the exhibition´s opening sentence: "Until lions have their own historians, the history of hunting will always glorify the hunter” (Chinua Achebe).