This is a tour of the new Arts of Africa galleries at the Met, given by Alisa LaGamma, Curator for African Art, and assistant curator Jenny Peruski, with special guests Manthia Diawara and Angélique Kidjo.
In this new incarnation, the Arts of Africa galleries foreground the creativity of artists across the continent, shifting the narrative to focus on artworks within their original contexts and as masterpieces in their own right.
The reinstallation celebrates the authorship of recognized masters, from renowned sculptor Ọlọ́wẹ̀ of Ìsẹ̀ (ca. 1873–1938) to contemporary photographer Seydou Keïta (ca. 1921–2001).
As part of this new presentation, Afro-Portuguese ivories are positioned at the threshold to adjacent European galleries, and a traditional Kente cloth sits across from a contemporary sculptural tapestry, placing these artworks in visual dialogue with each other across time and space.
This reintroduction of the Arts of Africa galleries highlights that these historical traditions are enduring but also dynamic, distinctive but interconnected, and a continuing source of inspiration for artists and visitors today.
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