MoMA to host major exhibition on mid-century African modernism

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York will host a major exhibition titled ‘Freedom and Futures: Emancipatory Art in Africa, 1956–1982’. Scheduled to run from May 2 to August 14, 2027, the exhibition will feature approximately 250 objects, including 40 items from MoMA’s own collection.

Curated by Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi and Erica DiBenedetto, the showcase focuses on the concept of ‘emancipatory art’. This term describes a period of profound transformation where African artists used their work to navigate political independence and decolonization. The exhibition aims to establish a visual and art-historical language to describe how artists responded to the social and political shifts occurring across the continent.

The selected timeframe of 1956 to 1982 reflects the staggered nature of African independence, moving beyond the landmark year of 1960 to include earlier movements in countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, and Sudan.