Consider art as a universal means of communication through which artists convey messages beyond the capacity of words or actions. Simon Njami, in his essay for the exhibition catalogue, explored this concept, highlighting how art becomes a medium for artists, particularly those from Africa or the African Diaspora, to express unspoken narratives and emotions. Through this lens, curation emerges as the practice of weaving together these artistic expressions to construct a narrative that challenges conventional understandings of identity and archival practices. Instead of adhering to rigid archival standards, this approach prioritizes the personal and subjective experiences of Africans, enriching the discourse on the role and impact of curatorial work.

Traditional archival methods often reflect the biases and power dynamics of the institutions that manage them, potentially sidelining the actual experiences and perspectives of the subjects they archive. In contrast, this form of curation acts as a form of resistance, assembling works that each represent a unique perspective on experience, identity, or belief, thereby shifting the focus toward a diverse and multifaceted portrayal of African identities as voiced by the artists themselves. This not only challenges the authority usually given to archives but also highlights the individual stories and subjectivities that conventional methods might ignore.

This curation philosophy aligns with theoretical insights from thinkers like Lefebvre, who examines the creation of space, and Walter Benjamin, who considers the role and value of art in modernity. It proposes an alternative way of understanding how spaces—whether physical, cultural, or conceptual—are created and interpreted through curation. While digital platforms offer new possibilities for challenging dominant narratives and fostering diverse viewpoints, particularly in postcolonial contexts, my project, Artspace.Africa, seeks to engage with these opportunities.

Adopting a perspective that sees Africa not as a uniform entity but as a complex mosaic of experiences and identities, I embrace art as a universal language that allows artists, especially those from Africa and its diaspora, to articulate intricate truths and feelings. Thus, curation transforms into an act of assembly, where each piece contributes to the broader African narrative. This approach deviates from traditional archiving, which relies on specific criteria to determine significance, and instead empowers artists to narrate their own stories.

By reimagining the archival process to highlight personal narratives and subjective experiences, my curatorial approach offers a more layered and grassroots understanding of African identities. In essence, my work in curation is an attempt to reconfigure the "archive" to be more inclusive and reflective of African individuals' lived experiences, countering the conventional archival practice and promoting a richer, more personal narrative framework.

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