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Writer's pictureIvan Muguya

Sotheby’s to Present Exhibition of Contemporary African Art in Tel Aviv


FOSTER SAKYIAMAH, ESI AMETHYSTIA, 2022

TEL AVIV, 19 JANUARY 2023 – The emergence of young Contemporary African artists, not only living and working on the continent but also across the diaspora, is a well-documented phenomenon of the twenty-first century, in tandem with a growing appreciation internationally and institutionally for contemporary African art. In 2020, for the first time in its history, Tefaf Maastricht featured a booth dedicated to contemporary art from Africa, and the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair – founded in 2013 - has long been a staple in the annual global art fair calendar. Not least, Sotheby’s began holding dedicated auctions of Modern and Contemporary African Art in London in 2017.

Next month, Sotheby’s will join forces with the founders of the Olym Collection to present ‘Contemporary Redefined: Africa Today’, the first exhibition of its kind to be held by the company in Tel Aviv. Featuring the new vanguard of African Contemporary artists within the Sub-Saharan and Western regions of the continent, the exhibition – opening on 5 February and on view until 5 May at Sotheby’s Tel Aviv office, located at 6 Rothschild Boulevard – is a unique grouping of 31 works by more than 20 artists originating from eight African countries.

The artworks selected for display are being loaned from the Olym Collection, a private collection of contemporary African art founded by two brothers based in Israel. Assembled over recent years, as a result of their frequent trips to Africa, and their personal desire to be exposed to diverse artistic practices across the various geographical regions on the continent, the collection reflects a sustained period of intense collecting activity, drawing on informed custodianship and intellectual curiosity. The Olym Collection takes its name from the Hebrew word ‘Aliyah’, which translates as ‘elevation’ – for them, collecting art is akin to elevating the soul. Read more

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