United Kingdom: Ghanaian El Anatsui exhibits at Tate Modern
This monumental installation is the work of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui. Using old bottle tops, he has created three sculptures that recall Africa’s colonial history.
The journey begins with the undulating expanse of the Red Moon, crimson on one side and yellow on the other. This sail-like shape recalls the ships that transported Africans and the continent’s resources to the Atlantic during the slave trade. Next come the delicate gold fragments of ‘Le Monde’, like human figures, suspended and disturbed by their journey. The installation ends with the colossal ‘The Wall’, signifying the end of a journey, the ripples at its base like a rocky coastline with waves crashing ashore.
In recent years, Tate Modern has attempted to broaden its collections to reflect a more diverse art world, less focused on Western, European-centric works. The Ghanaian artist takes over from Cecilia Vicuña (2022) and Anicka Yi (2021).
«El Anatsui is an internationally renowned artist whose career spans more than five decades. He was born in Ghana and has spent most of his life living and working in Nsukka in south-east Nigeria. He is an artist, I think, who is used to working with materials that have a certain social history. And what interests him most often is using these materials to reveal something about our shared past. So, in fact, he has been based in West Africa deliberately throughout his career, dealing with the kind of materials that are readily available in his environment. And that’s not just a decision that could be called economic, it’s actually his way of thinking about art» explained co-curator Osei Bonsu.
The artist El Anatsui himself was present at the launch of the «Behind the Red Moon» installation. His work will be on view until 14 April 2024.
Justine
