Italy as a scene for major international exhibitions dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and the African Diaspora has only in recent years made waves on the international arena, with the 56th edition of the Venice Biennale directed by Okwui Enwezor in 2016 representing an important landmark. In an art world dominated by Anglo-American and French institutions and their art markets, Italy today plays an emergent role in breaking that tradition. It is offering curators a new challenge for representing Africa from a position that is both hegemonic—Italy as one of the historical “centers” of European art and an ex-colonial power—and peripheral at the same time, which makes the Italian landscape an exciting space to watch.
Curated by the artistic director of FM Centro per l'Arte Contemporanea Marco Scotini, The White Hunter: African Memories and Representations brought together the artworks of thirty-seven artists from Africa, France, Italy, and the African...