From 13 May to 1 June 2025, the French capital and its inner suburbs will become a veritable hub for contemporary African art and its diaspora, thanks to the fifth edition of the Traversées Africaines event.…
From 13 May to 1 June 2025, the French capital and its inner suburbs will be transformed into a veritable hub for contemporary African art and its diaspora, thanks to the fifth edition of the Traversées Africaines event. This initiative offers a unique artistic journey through 24 exhibitions spread across various galleries, museums and cultural venues, showcasing the talent of over a hundred African artists and their diasporas. The event runs for three weeks.
The aim of Traversées Africaines is to create an artistic itinerary across the city, bringing together existing exhibitions or those specially designed for the occasion, centred on a key theme: showcasing contemporary African art. This edition celebrates the diversity of artistic expression and the geographical variety of the invited artists. Alongside this event, the Centre Pompidou is organising Paris noir. Artistic Circulations and Anti-Colonial Struggles 1950–2000, offering a rich historical context on the links between art and politics in 20th-century Pan-African circles in Paris. Here I present a few exhibitions I have selected, but to explore the full programme, visit the Pour l’Art Pour l’Afrique website.
1 - Another Mali in Another World
This exhibition showcases the richness and evolution of Malian photography through the work of 14 artists. Alongside key figures such as Malick Sidibé and Seydou Keita, the exhibition unveils a new generation of artists with bold and unique perspectives. This exhibition offers a journey through Mali’s history and transformations, driven by photographers who break free from the conventions of traditional studios to offer modern perspectives. Their works question the past, shed light on the present and imagine new narratives. 7 March – 31 May 2025: INFO
2- Urban Life with the artist Diafrel
Born in 1990, Diafrel is an Ivorian artist based in Paris, whose work combines graphic art with environmental activism. Diafrel presents his recycled urban landscapes, transforming salvaged kraft paper into powerful reflections on the link between memory, sustainability and city life. With an eco-conscious approach to art, Diafrel beautifully captures the ever-changing rhythms of urban life. (Find out more about the artist) 2 May – 26 May 2025: INFO
3- Architects of Chaos, Soly Cissé, Harouna Ouédraogo
This exhibition showcases previously unseen works – paintings, collages and drawings – by two iconic figures of contemporary art: Soly Cissé (link) from Senegal and Harouna Ouédraogo from Burkina Faso. Bound by a deep mutual respect, these artists invite us to perceive the turmoil hidden behind appearances, beneath the mask of the visible. Their artistic creation is characterised by boundless depth, energetic gestures and turbulent dynamics. Find out more about Harouna 15 May – 31 July 2025: INFO
4 - Life is a Balance with Famakan Magassa
Famakan was born in 1987 in Mali and studied at the Balla Fasséke Kouyaté Conservatoire of Arts and Multimedia. Magassa’s paintings blend everyday life with observations on society and the economy, touching on varied subjects such as displacement, corruption, human connection and the aspiration for a happier existence. He thoroughly explores the different facets of human beings and their condition; his talent for blending humour and irony in his art enables him to effectively highlight the complexities and paradoxes of society. With “Life is a Balance Sheet”, he revisits once again this human comedy brought to life by his contemporaries, their behaviour, and their actions, as they play roles whose reality often surpasses fiction. 15 May – 14 June 2025: INFO
5- The Red Turban at the Christophe Person Gallery
Joseph Kojo Hoggar (Ghana) draws inspiration from the great European masters, revisits the Vanities and creates a dialogue between art history and contemporary African identity. In his series Le Turban rouge, a tribute to Jan Van Eyck, the headdress becomes a rich and shifting symbol, embodying dignity, introspection, power and heritage. Ikechukwu Nduka (Nigeria) transforms straps into tapestries, creating textile sculptures that embody Igbo values: power, integrity, transmission. His works are silent totems, where the elephant Enyi evokes strength, prosperity and spirituality. 15 May – 14 June 2025: INFO
6- Legs series, Hassan Hajjaj
Hassan Hajjaj, born in 1961 in Larache, Morocco, divides his time between Marrakech and London. His vibrant art explores cultural identities and exchanges between East and West, drawing inspiration from the popular culture of markets and Islamic decorative art. He combines photography, design and installations in a style that is both bold and joyful. In his exhibition "Legs Series", Hajjaj reinvents the traditional portrait by focusing on legs to address themes of migration, hybridity and belonging. His works, often framed with recycled tyres or plastic mats, celebrate stories of travel and figures of modern nomadism. 1 April – 31 May 2025: INFO
7- Dressed to the Nines, Maurice Pellosh
Maurice Pellosh opened his studio in Pointe-Noire (Congo) in 1973, when he was 22 years old. Studio Pellosh quickly became the go-to place for capturing moments of happiness, families, couples and dandies. Through his photographs, Pellosh captured the spirit of his era, combining aesthetics with the symbolism of wealth and beauty, thanks to meticulously chosen props and staging.
Active until 2016, Maurice Pellosh left behind a photographic treasure trove, the fruit of more than four decades of dedication. His images from the 1970s, captured in the studio, outdoors or in the bush, reflect post-independence Congolese society. In May 2023, he passed away at the age of 71, leaving behind an invaluable visual legacy. The exhibition “Fringué comme jamais” at the Galerie Art et Société PCF showcases some sixty of his works, highlighting the unique talent of this portrait photographer. 23 May – 2 June 2025: INFO
8 -WAX
Through the 𝑾𝑨𝑿 exhibition, the Musée de l’Homme traces the epic journey of a fabric that has become a major cultural symbol. Between heritage and reappropriation, the 𝑾𝑨𝑿 exhibition reveals the many facets of a textile that tells a different story of Africa.
5 February – 3 June 2025: INFO
1- Legs series, Hassan Hajjaj 2- Wax, Omar Victor Diop