Africa’s enlightenment as seen through 54 artists

“Enlightenment of Africa” is an exhibition that has been on display since December 2017, at the African Union. The exhibition referred to “Lumieres d’Afriques” in French is conceived by African Artists for Development, an initiative created in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals, features well known artists such as Aida Muluneh, Mann Youssouf Ahmed, Epaphrodite Binamungu and Mustafa Sawwd as well as young emerging contemporary artists presenting original works and share the conviction that Africa is the continent of tomorrow.
The exhibition was first presented at COP21, a major conference on climate change from November 30 till December 11, 2015 in Paris, France. The exhibition was also presented in Abidjan from April 27 to June 6, 2016, then in Dakar beginning of 2017.
The project includes 45 painters, sculptors, videographers and photographers, all who have accepted the challenge to create an original work of art on a unique theme and to reveal their own personal source of inner light by participating in a monumental video installation. The power of the video work expresses both the vitality of contemporary Africa art and the critical challenges that Africa must face over the next century.
The paintings, sculptures, photographs or performances illustrate the diversity, vitality and singularity of contemporary African art of which opulence is still unfamiliar. It is also stated that the 54 artworks encourage a reflection on the challenges of the ongoing continental development.
The exhibition at the African Union will be on show throughout February, 2018.
African Artist for Development (AAD) is an endowment fund that was set up in 2009 by Gervanne and Matthias Leridon in response to the UN Millennium Development Goals and backs community development projects associated with works by African artists.
The goals of AAD projects are to spur sustainable economic and social development, increase well-being, boost living standards and bring about changes through patters by relying on the effects of levers more than the earmarked budget size.