- In full:
- Okwuchukwu Emmanuel Enwezor
- Born:
- October 23, 1963, Calabar, Nigeria
- Died:
- March 15, 2019, Munich, Germany (aged 55)
- Subjects Of Study:
- African art
Okwui Enwezor
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Who was Okwui Enwezor?
Okwui Enwezor (1963–2019) was a Nigerian-born curator, art critic, historian, and poet who helped bring worldwide attention to African art. In 1994, he founded Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art in collaboration with Cornell University.
Enwezor curated exhibits such as "Africus" at the Second Johannesburg Biennale in 1997, a 1996 exhibit of African photography at the Guggenheim Museum SoHo, and a showing of South African photographer David Goldblatt's work in 2000. From 1998 to 2002, he was the artistic director of "Documenta 11," held in Kassel, Germany, and became the first non-European to host the exhibition. In 2015, Enwezor became the first African curator of the Venice Biennale.
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What is an art curator, and what did Enwezor do in this role?
An art curator acquires, manages, and showcases artwork, often specializing in a specific area like European painting or African art. Their tasks include obtaining new pieces, maintaining collections, authenticating art, arranging loans, and organizing exhibitions.
Okwui Enwezor, a Nigerian-born curator, significantly highlighted African art on the global stage. He curated the "Africus" Second Johannesburg Biennale in 1997 and served as adjunct curator at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1998 to 2000. Enwezor directed "Documenta 11" in Kassel, Germany, from 1998 to 2002, becoming the first non-European to host the international exhibition. In 2015, he was also the first African curator of the Venice Biennale.
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How did Okwui Enwezor become known in the art world?
Okwui Enwezor gained recognition in the art world through his critiques of art exhibits that lacked representation from African artists. This led him to write for art magazines and found Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art in 1994.
As a curator, Enwezor became known for his work on an exhibit of African photography at the Guggenheim Museum SoHo, New York City, in 1996; at the “Africus” Second Johannesburg Biennale in 1997; and as an adjunct curator (1998–2000) of contemporary art at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2015, Enwezor became the first African curator of the Venice Biennale.
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What was important about the exhibitions curated by Enwezor?
Okwui Enwezor, a Nigerian-born curator, significantly impacted the art world by bringing global attention to African art. His exhibitions often addressed social change and political issues, setting him apart from the "art for art's sake" philosophy.
Key exhibitions:
* "The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa, 1945–1994": This exhibit expressed Enwezor's theory of art as an expression of social change.
* "Snap Judgments: New Positions in Contemporary African Photography": This exhibition challenged negative Western attitudes and stereotypes about Africa, countering what he termed "Afro-pessimism".
* Documenta 11: As the first non-European to host this international exhibition in Kassel, Germany, Enwezor prepared with seminars on international issues and looked beyond American and European traditions into African arts.
* "Postwar: Art Between the Pacific and the Atlantic, 1945–65": As director of Haus der Kunst, Enwezor put together this extensive survey that included a range of media and considered the fallout of World War II on frequently overlooked countries such as Iran, China, Mozambique, and Mexico.1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Enwezor highlight African and global artists in his work?
Okwui Enwezor, a Nigerian-born curator, significantly highlighted African and global artists through his work. He noticed the absence of African artists in various exhibits and began critiquing the shows. Enwezor then launched Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art in 1994.
As a curator, Enwezor became known for his work on an exhibit of African photography at the Guggenheim Museum SoHo, New York City, in 1996. From 1998 to 2002 he was the artistic director of “Documenta 11,” where he emphasized ideas over objects and looked beyond American and European traditions into African arts. In 2015, Enwezor became the first African curator of the Venice Biennale.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What impact did Okwui Enwezor have on the art world and the way art exhibitions are organized?
Okwui Enwezor, a Nigerian-born curator, significantly impacted the art world by bringing global attention to African art. As a curator, Enwezor critiqued the absence of African artists in various exhibits and later mounted his first major show, "The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa, 1945–1994".
Enwezor became the first non-European to host "Documenta 11," an ambitious international exhibition in Kassel, Germany. Eschewing "art for art’s sake," he emphasized ideas and social change, addressing political issues like globalization and looking beyond American and European traditions into African arts. In 2015, he was also the first African curator of the Venice Biennale.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Okwui Enwezor (born October 23, 1963, Calabar, Nigeria—died March 15, 2019, Munich, Germany) was a Nigerian-born poet, art critic, art historian, and curator who helped bring global attention to African art.
Enwezor was raised in Enugu in eastern Nigeria. In the early 1980s he relocated to the United States to attend Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University), where he earned a B.A. in political science. His foray into the art world began as an observer. At various exhibits, Enwezor noticed the absence of artists from Africa and started critiquing the shows. He began writing widely for art magazines and even launched one of his own—Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art, founded in 1994 and published in concert with the Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
As a curator, Enwezor became known for his work on an exhibit of African photography at the Guggenheim Museum SoHo, New York City, in 1996; at the “Africus” Second Johannesburg Biennale in 1997; and as an adjunct curator (1998–2000) of contemporary art at the Art Institute of Chicago. Later exhibits curated included a group show that traveled through Europe and Canada and a showing of the work of South African photographer David Goldblatt in 2000. A frequent lecturer and member of many art juries, Enwezor also coedited, along with Olu Oguibe, Reading the Contemporary: African Art from Theory to the Marketplace (1999).
In 2002 Enwezor mounted his first major show, “The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa, 1945–1994,” at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in Queens, New York. He put into practice his theory of art as an expression of social change when from 1998 to 2002 he was the artistic director of “Documenta 11,” the 11th in a series of international exhibitions held in Kassel, Germany, for three months every five years. Ambitious in size and scope, Documenta exhibitions have been described as “the Olympics of contemporary art.” Enwezor was the first non-European to host the exhibition. He prepared for it with a series of seminars on international issues. He did not shy away from political issues, including globalization, and was understandably comfortable looking beyond American and European traditions into African arts. His emphasis on ideas over objects—in contrast to the “art for art’s sake” philosophy—was evident in his development of the “The Short Century” exhibit, which was also the title of the book that preceded his gallery exhibit in New York City.
In 2006 Enwezor organized “Snap Judgements: New Positions in Contemporary African Photography” at the International Center of Photography, New York City. Intended to address a trend he termed “Afro-pessimism,” the exhibit contradicted negative contemporary Western attitudes and stereotypical ideas of Africa.
In 2011 Enwezor became the director of Haus der Kunst, a non-collecting contemporary art museum in Munich. During his tenure, he was commended for offering a more-global exhibition program, which included “Postwar: Art Between the Pacific and the Atlantic, 1945–65” (2017). The extensive survey, which included a range of media, considered the fallout of World War II on such frequently overlooked countries as Iran, China, Mozambique, and Mexico. As the director of Haus der Kunst, however, Enwezor also contended with years of budget shortfalls and a scandal wherein a human resources manager was accused of attempting to recruit staff members to the Church of Scientology, which is highly monitored in Germany. Meanwhile, in 2015 Enwezor became the first African curator of the Venice Biennale.
Enwezor resigned from the Haus der Kunst in 2018, citing health reasons. The following year he died from cancer.
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