When the Philadelphia Museum of Art started to plan an exhibition about Africa, it informally surveyed visitors, asking for their general impressions of the continent. Responses like “I think of safaris” were common—and illuminating: The museum realized it could play a role in expanding Americans’ understanding of Africa, an incredibly diverse continent with 1.1 billion people, 54 countries, and an estimated 2,000 languages. “It’s terrifying to think of how many people hear ‘Africa’ and think of it as a country, not a continent,” says John Vick, a curator at the museum. “We thought, ‘How can we use art to help people reconsider the world around them and, in this case, a world on the other side of the ocean?’.”
The result is Creative Africa, which features a spectrum of work by African designers and artists, along with the award-winning architect Diébédo Francis Kéré. The ambitious show comprises five exhibitions, each occupying a gallery in the Perelman Building (an Art Deco landmark that was enlarged in 2007 by Gluckman Mayner Architects). Organized by Vick and curator Kristina Van Dyke, the show opened last week and runs until September 25, with one exhibition on view through December 4.
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