The LA Art Show is embarking on a three-year journey exploring the African contemporary art scene. Curated by Marisa Caichiolo and Mostapha Romli, this curatorial project will shed light on the exciting emerging artists whose ideas are shaping a generation, and an entire continent. Year one, Continental Shift presents an overview of top artists representing North, Central and South Africa. Working in photography and video installation, artists Ingrid Mwangi Robert Hutter, Magema Michele, Mostapha Romli, Joana Choumali, Mouna Jemal Siala & Abdelmalek Berhiss examine culture and creativity in Kenya, Congo, Morocco, Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire.

“With the economies of many African countries growing rapidly, the continent’s cities are beginning to reflect the enormous potential for creating a new urban realm as well as a new vision in arts. Africa’s contemporary art scene characterized by a myriad of remarkable artists who paved the way for the next generation, and a fast growing emerging young artists. Using their artwork to read Africa’s socio-economic reality, political issues and reach traditions and beauty. In this small curatorial project we will go beyond aesthetics and dive deep into the conceptual world. These emerging artists from South, Central and North Africa continue to influence the evolution of Contemporary Art in Africa, today.” Marisa Caichiolo, co-curator of Africa Contemporary.

The LA Art Show will be the first major art fair to focus on African Contemporary Art. While known primarily for tribal and ethnographic arts in the Western world, the contemporary arts of Africa have been growing in momentum. Exciting and vibrant, the art and artists draw from their diverse experience to showcase a continent that is in one way quite exotic, with a common thread of humanity that is universal.