The October Gallery - based in central London - has joined forces with Berlin’s Kulturbrauerei to present an exhibition of cutting-edge contemporary art from around the planet, and a programme of associated talks and events. This exhibition, Transvangarde: Contemporary Art from Around the Planet, to be held in the Kulturbrauerei’s Pferdestall Gallery, will provide a platform for a truly international discourse between artists from many different countries, juxtaposing the work of artists and sculptors from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. This touring exhibition has been designed to give an up-to-date sampling of the diverse range of themes and styles that both distinguish and unite leading artists from the many different cultures represented.
Not to be confused with the term ‘transavantgarde’ - a term briefly popular in the Eighties to describe a small group of Italian artists - the Transvangarde - or trans-cultural avant-garde - describes a much broader concept. The idea of the Transvangarde recognises the seminal presence of many non-western artists who continue to play a crucial - though often unacknowledged - role in the development of a vibrant contemporary art-scene that is global in reach. The influential art critic Simon Njami writes, ‘It is clear that the future of art is currently being created beyond the boundaries of the eurocentric vision. In this context, the Transvangarde is a concept that defines the Art of the future, an art created by syncretism and exchange - an art which touches a more comprehensive community.’
For almost a quarter of a century, the October Gallery has pioneered the development of the Transvangarde by providing a prime exhibition space, in the centre of London, where artists from around the planet can exhibit their work. This showing of Transvangarde artists at the Kulturbrauerei, in Berlin, offers an exhibition, within the German capital, that re-affirms the central importance of Berlin’s position as a crossroads for artistic and intercultural exchange. Amongst the artists on show will be Pablo Amaringo (Peru), El Anatsui (Ghana), Laila Shawa (Palestine), Cyprien Tokoudagba (Benin), Elisabeth Lalouschek (Austria), Julien Sinzogan (Benin), Owusu-Ankomah (Ghana), Xu Zhongmin (China), Francesco Rimondi (Ethiopia), Aubrey Williams (Guyana), Jimoh Buraimoh (Nigeria), Manuel Mendive (Cuba) and many others besides. |