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This article considers what the African presence at the 2024 Venice Biennale says about visibility and the politics of representation related to broader shifts in the global cultural landscape. It offers an overview of the main exhibition, Stranieri Ovunque—Foreigners Everywhere, curated by Adriano Pedrosa, suggesting that it may be seen as both conceptually canon-expanding and structurally center-affirming. It also discusses the curatorial frames and strategies of self-definition of a select group of first-time and returning national pavilions: Benin, South Africa, Uganda, and Nigeria. The article highlights how artists and pavilion organizers from Africa at the Venice Biennale are increasingly using this historic platform strategically to make change by challenging its representational structure, foregrounding African-based knowledge systems, and investing in culture and institution building on the continent.
Christa Clarke (Fri,) studied this question.