Political Portraits: »Ideas of Africa«

Conceptually inspired by the book The Idea of Africa (1994) by anthropologist and literary scholar Valentin-Yves Mudimbe (1941-2025), the Museum of Modern Art in New York brings together numerous photographic works from the 20th century: Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination illustrates how portrait photography spread pan-African ideas. The focus is on photographs taken in cities such as Bamako, Bobo-Dioulasso, and Kinshasa in the mid-20th century, when many African states became independent and social identities changed. The works are complemented by works from the African diaspora in Europe and North America, as well as works by contemporary artists. The exhibition opened on December 14, 2025, and will be on view in New York until July 25, 2026.

The works on display include donations from collector Jean Pigozzi, new acquisitions by the museum, and several loans. Among the artists featured are James Barnor, Kwame Brathwaite, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Jean Depara, Samuel Fosso, Oumar Ka, Seydou Keïta, Ambroise Ngaimoko, Silvia Rosi, Malick Sidibé, and Sanlé Sory. Since many photographs were distributed in print media in the mid-20th century, the museum has set up a separate area where visitors can view numerous historical photo books and publications. This allows visitors to experience how the photographs were originally received.