The revival of the African art galleries at the Met 31 May 2025 marked the grand return of the African art galleries at the Met, at the heart of the newly redesigned Michael C. Rockefeller Wing.…
The Revival of the African Art Galleries at the Met
31 May 2025 marked the grand return of the African Art galleries at the Met, at the heart of the newly reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a period of extensive renovations, this new exhibition layout invites visitors to rediscover the museum’s rich collection of sub-Saharan art.
Featuring around 500 works, the exhibition highlights major artistic movements and traditions across the sub-continent. The galleries showcase works ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day, a quarter of which are on public display for the very first time. This permanent exhibition celebrates creativity and living historical traditions across Africa. A notable feature of the refurbished galleries is the emphasis on the identities and life stories of the artists, with explanatory panels tracing the lives of around 40 iconic artists.
From Òlówè d'Ìsẹ̀ (circa 1873–1938, Efon-Alaaye, Nigeria) to Abdoulaye Konaté (born 1953, Diré, Mali), the art on display covers a vast geographical area, from Mali to Madagascar, and spans from the 12th century to the present day. The works, diverse in their media, include wood carving, textiles and even photography, thus offering a rich and varied panorama of African art. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by an imposing Dogon sculpture.
In the immediate vicinity, a clay statuette depicting a crouching human figure, originating from the ancient city of Djenné-Djeno in present-day Mali, stands out as one of the oldest artefacts in the collection, dating back to the 13th century. Alongside these exceptional pieces, the arts of sub-Saharan Africa are displayed not in a uniform manner, but in distinct sections, in order to highlight cultural diversity. Over 170 different cultures are represented across some 500 pieces of African art!
Seated figure, Middle Niger Artist, 13th century, ©Met Museum
At the heart of innovation: a digital project
A key element of this exhibition is a digital project highlighting Africa’s unique cultural characteristics, produced in collaboration with the World Monuments Fund (WMF). The Met and the WMF have jointly selected iconic sites from sub-Saharan Africa, dating from antiquity to the 20th century – some of which are currently inaccessible to the general public – for their cultural and historical significance. These sites are explored through a series of twelve short documentaries, produced in collaboration with Sosena Solomon, the Met’s conservation and digital teams, and with the assistance of cultural experts from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Benin, Botswana, Uganda and Togo.
These documentaries are available for viewing either directly in the galleries or via the online exhibition guide. A third of the African artworks on display are recent acquisitions. As part of this, the museum has received a donation of thousands of photographs from the collection of Artur Walther, including the self-portraits from the series “African Spirits” (2008) by the Cameroonian-Nigerian photographer Samuel Fosso.
©Met Museum