Assignment 1

Read the preface  and first couple pages of the book, Contemporary African Art Since 1980, written by Nigerian curators, Okwui Enwezor and Chika Okeke-Agulu.  You don’t need to read the entire article. Then answer the following questions

1. In the first paragraph of the Preface, the authors describe a change that has happened in the contemporary art world. What is it?

2. The authors describe a shift in the way Contemporary African art was displayed. What is the shift?

3. In the section on What is Contemporary African Art? the authors discuss “the idea of Africa.” Why is this term problematic?

Assignment 2

Read the interview with Yinka Shonibare and answer the following questions.

1.  How has Shonibare’s upbringing in both Nigeria and Britain affected his work? 

2. What is Shonibare’s view of the Scientific Enlightenment era? 

3.  How does Shonibare view his disability in relationship to his work?

Assignment 3

Watch two films (https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s5/transformation)  Yinka Shonibare and answer the following questions:

Film 1:   Art 21: Transformations  (Section on Shonibare is the first 15 minutes of the film so start at the beginning. ) 

1. Why don’t Shonibare’s figures have heads?

2. How does his work relate to class?

3. Why doesn’t Shonibare understand the hierarchy of race in the UK?

4. What is the history of the fabrics that Shonibare uses? Why does he like using them?

5. What is the piece “Black Gold” about?

6. What is “Scramble for Africa: about?

7. What is ironic about Shonibare being given the title Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE?)

Art 21: Black Artists – Yinka Shonibare (https://art21.org/watch/extended-play/yinka-shonibare-cbe-black-artists-short/ )

8. What does Yinka say about being a black artist in Britain?

9. Why does Yinka say he plays the role of trickster?