Some of Africa’s most accomplished contemporary artists will converge in Addis Ababa on July 29 for one of the continent’s largest international cultural showcases, as the “Unity” exhibition opens alongside the inaugural World Public Summit Africa on July 29–30, 2026.
Featuring artists from 16 African countries, the exhibition forms the cultural centerpiece of the summit and showcases the richness, diversity, and growing global influence of contemporary African art through paintings, sculpture, collage, digital art, and mixed-media installations.
The exhibition brings together acclaimed artists from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, alongside an Afro-Brazilian artist whose work reflects Africa’s enduring cultural connections across the diaspora.
Curated around the theme “Unity,” the exhibition explores shared identity, cultural memory, hope, and the future through diverse artistic voices. Rather than presenting Africa as a single narrative, it celebrates the continent’s remarkable cultural diversity while highlighting the common values that connect its peoples.
The exhibition forms part of the World Public Summit Africa, which is being held under the theme “A New World: Africa in Shaping a Shared Future.”
The summit will bring together over 700 government leaders, diplomats, business executives, academics, innovators, civil society organizations, and cultural leaders to explore new opportunities for international cooperation and sustainable development.
Among the featured artists are Nigeria’s Precious Longret Samuel, whose work examines culture as a living repository of collective memory, Ethiopia’s Selamawit Gebretsadik, who explores unity through natural symbolism, and Senegal’s Khalifa Mané, whose work reflects on the responsibility of building a shared future for generations to come.
Secretary-General of the World Peoples Assembly, Andrey Belyaninov, said the exhibition demonstrates the growing role of culture in strengthening dialogue between nations.
“Art is one of humanity’s most universal languages and one of the most effective instruments of public diplomacy. It brings people together where words alone may fail, helping us discover what unites us despite our differences. Holding the World Public Summit in Addis Ababa is a recognition of Africa’s role as one of the centers shaping a new world.
“Today, we understand more clearly than ever: the future cannot be built alone. It is born in dialogue, in trust, in the ability to listen to one another and to act together.”
Tsegaye Chama, General Secretary of the Global Black Center, promised that “The Summit will be delivered with exceptional distinction, reflecting the magnitude and spirit of the World Peoples Assembly.” It embodies a unity that is not transactional but purposeful and conscious, a unity that shapes new contours for a world that works for all peoples of the world.”
One of the summit’s other significant initiatives is an international, interdisciplinary scientific study examining the socioeconomic impact of the Zambezi River on the development of six African nations: Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, and Mozambique.
Titled “The Zambezi River: Economy, Society, Soul,” the initiative reflects the summit’s broader vision of exploring Africa’s development through interconnected perspectives—economic opportunity, social progress, and cultural identity.
With delegates expected from across Africa and around the world, expectations are high that the inaugural World Public Summit Africa will establish a lasting platform for dialogue, inspire new partnerships, strengthen regional and global cooperation, and reinforce Africa’s growing voice in shaping the future of global development. It is symbolic that after the summit concludes, the exhibition will continue its journey in Moscow. It will inspire new cultural initiatives and help strengthen friendship among nations.
