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The winner of the Africa section of the Venice Biennale has been announced, and, tragically, it didn't go to any of the South African contenders... Sue Williamson, Ed Young and Christian Nerf, etc must be disappointed, but relieved... I'm sure the pressure of representing a continent would be a little heavy. The winner, who outlasted, outwitted and outplayed, is Fernando Alvim and Simon Njam, from Angola, and will consist of works from the Sindika Dokolo African Collection of Contemporary Art. The exhibition is called Check List. The Biennale website has the following to say:

The panel of experts invited by Director Robert Storr has selected the exhibition Check List to represent African contemporary art in the Artiglierie space of the Arsenale. The jury consisted of Meskerem Assegued, Ekow Eshun, Lyle Ashton Harris, Kellie Jones and Bisi Silva. The winning project will be curated by Fernando Alvim and Simon Njam, and will be drawn from works in the Sindika Dokolo African Collection of Contemporary Art The 52nd International Art Exhibition will host in the core of its international section a special area dedicated to The main purpose of the project, which will be seen in spaces made available to it by the Biennale in the Arsenale Artiglierie, is to present an informed and distinctive perspective on current art from and the African Diaspora. In making their selection, the jury not only praised the project’s curatorial strengths and those of the Sindika Dokolo Collection overall, but sought to draw attention to the Sindika Dokolo initiative as a signal undertaking within the context of art patronage in Sindika Dokolo African Collection of Contemporary Art was created in 2004 by the Congolese businessman and art collector Sindika Dokolo, together with the Angolan artist Fernando Alvim. The Collection’s aim is to promote the knowledge of the contemporary art scene throughout the African continent. The Sindika Dokolo Collection is comprised of 500 works by 140 artists from 28 different nations. Every year about 100 works are purchased in order to update and improve its holdings.

Wasn't Fernando Alvim curator of the erstwhile Triennale de Luanda? I met him once and he looks like a grey haired Antonio Banderas, and is always surrounded by pretty assistants. Now would be the time then, for all the pretty artist girls out there to make there mark...

9 Comments:

Anonymous said...: The co-curator is Simon Njami - not Njam. Every single blog, release and more importantly, the official Venice press release got his name wrong. Not a good start in the effort to represent Africa on an equal footing...; 12:02 AM
Anonymous said...: He's also not Angolan.; 12:13 AM
Anonymous said...: This post has been removed by a blog administrator.; 1:05 AM
Anonymous said...: preview of ed young's new work for venice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF7RVp5UIt0; 8:29 AM
soryy fo said...: welcome to the postcolonial world of invisible white people; 9:27 AM
unhealthily ed-fixated said...: Ed, this address doesn't work; 12:18 PM
Ed Young said...: This post has been removed by a blog administrator.; 2:15 PM
Anonymous said...: ed and christian and sue didnt get it because they are white? Oh, no, its because they presented some crap!; 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...: Why you don't say, as we know, Njam, Alvim and Dokolo plays the game of Venice Mafia ??!! The Dokolo is not a real collection. They still africa. Bob Marley is not happy!!; 5:34 PM

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