Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) receives 21 artworks by artists of African descent

In 2018 MASP dedicated its entire program of exhibitions, publications, workshops, courses and seminars to Afro Atlantic Histories. The museum hosted solo shows of artists of African descent such as Aleijadinho, Maria Auxiliadora da Silva, Emanoel Araujo, Rubem Valentim, Sonia Gomes, Melvin Edwards and Lucia Laguna as well as Kader Attia, Ayrson Heráclito, Khalil Joseph and John Akomfrah, among others. In this context, the museum was gifted 21 artworks by 19 artists of African descent, including: Abdias Nascimento, Chico Tabibuia, Dalton Paula, Emanoel Araujo, Flávio Cerqueira, Jaime Lauriano, José Alves de Olinda, Lucia Laguna, Maxwell Alexandre, Mestre Didi, Rosana Paulino, Rosina Becker do Vale, Rubem Valentim, Sènéque Obin, Sonia Gomes, and the collectives Ad Júnior, Edu Carvalho & Spartakus Santiago and Frente 3 de Fevereiro. These set of works strengthens the presence of artists of African descent at MASP, in a museum well known for its classical European collection. Many of these works will go on view in the collection exhibition at MASP's iconic glass easel display by Lina Bo Bardi in April 2019. All gifted works were either exhibited in solo shows dedicated to the artists (in the case of Araujo, Gomes, Valentim and Laguna) or in the group exhibition titled Histórias Afro-Atlânticas. The latter, co-organized with Instituto Tomie Ohtake in São Paulo, centered on the relationships between Africa and the Americas, the Caribbean as well as Europe through the Atlantic from the 16th through the 21st centuries. "The yearlong program dedicated to Afro Atlantic Histories has been in the planning since 2014, and these exceptional acquisitions now leave a definite imprint in a collection otherwise well known for its classical European masters. We are responding directly to the museum's mission, which has recently redefined MASP as 'plural, inclusive and diverse museum.' The efforts that have been made in terms of artworks by artists of African descent are also paired with female artists, and we will continue to amplify the scope of works we bring into the collection and show in our display," said artistic director Adriano Pedrosa.