Africa Basel X Afrinova
Panel Conversation
Beyond The Canon: Diaspora, Creativity and Cultural Power
Date: Thursday 19 June
Time: 15:15 PM
Location: Africa Basel Fair - St. Johannsvorstadt 19/21, 4056 Basel Switzerland
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A new wave of creatives of African descent living in Switzerland is reshaping the creative landscape - with bold aesthetic approaches, fresh perspectives and critical thinking.
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Moderated by Keabetswe Boccomino from Afrinova, this panel brings together voices from the African diaspora in Switzerland and Europe. In design, sound, research and visual culture, they are committed to reclaiming spaces, challenging dominant narratives and establishing new paradigms of artistic excellence.
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From reconsidering heritage to addressing socio-political issues and exclusionary structures, the conversation explores how diasporic creatives are forging paths of visibility, resistance and cultural affirmation. Our panellists are not only shaping their local scenes but are also becoming important voices in the global art discourse.
Panellists: Sinzo Aanza, Joshua Amissah and Tracy September.
Curated Guided Tours
The AfricaBasel curated tours invite audiences to experience the fair through a fresh and contemporary lens shaped by emerging artists and curators.
Organised by Afrinova, this series of guided tours highlights themes and topics currently being explored through our guides’ artistic practice and research.
Through their selection of booths and artworks, inspiring young voices from the continent and diaspora get the chance to share their perspectives, grow their networks, and take part in global art conversations.
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Book Your Tour Tickets HERE
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Essé "Essenam" Dabla-Attikpo is the founder of This No Be Art, is an independent curator working on themes of identity and diaspora. She has curated major exhibitions in Africa, Europe and the USA and was part of the curatorial team of the Benin Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2024.
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Semaya Mehret, a graphic designer and cultural mediator based in Basel, studied Visual Communication at the Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Basel and is currently completing a Master in Curatorial Studies at the Zurich University of the Arts. With Eritrean roots, she combines her experience in graphic design and art education to create collaborative projects.
Dillon Jerry Mugume, a multidisciplinary artist living between Paris and Basel, combines traditional mat weaving with contemporary ideas of resilience and memory. His process-oriented practice at DONNJERRY (founded in 2013), guided by the kaizen philosophy that combines sustainable methods with community heritage.
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Shuwani Okere is an artist and art educator based between Zurich and London. She works with mixed media animation and writing, exploring identity, memory and decolonial thinking through Afro-Surrealism - at once escape and strategy. She is also interested in how visual language shapes meaning
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​Ananda Jade, a Brazilian-Swiss artist, researcher and DJ born in the USA, is redefining cultural expression. Based in Switzerland, she co-founded HYBRID PROJECT SPACE to explore inclusion in the arts. Her interdisciplinary work, which includes film, photography and curating, focuses on Black identities and hybridity in diasporic and decolonial contexts.