Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica at the Art Institute of Chicago

Pan-Africanism—The Political Movement

Project a Black Planet is deeply rooted in political movements that promoted the idea of Pan-Africanism. The curators highlighted three main ones—Garveyism, Négritude, and Quilombismo. As one of the curators, Adom Getachew, explains:

The works in the first few rooms give the visitors the tools to contextualize these movements.

Garveyism

Garveyism, named after the Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey (1887–1940), argued for racial solidarity for Black people. The movement tried to reckon with the impact of racism, enslavement, and colonialism. The group members saw Africa as a place where they could build their future, a parallel world. For this room, the curators have chosen works that talk about different places as potential new homes, which include the seas, the earth, as well as space as possible locations for Panafrica.

One of the works displayed in this section is  Starry Night and the Astronauts by Alma Thomas. This breathtaking abstract composition is likely to be among the most promoted artworks in the museum’s collection. We can find it reproduced in the form of many souvenirs at the gift shop and even on the museum’s printed maps. However, here, it is shown in a completely new light.

As the wall text explains, Thomas painted this work as a response to the American Apollo space program. The curators invite us to think about it in terms of Garvey’s ideas that suggested building a Pan-African society in outer space. Putting the Starry Night and the Astronauts in the exhibition is a great way of giving a new meaning to a work that many visitors already know.

Négritude

Négritude is a movement that was born in the 1930s in Paris. Meaning “Blackness” in French, it was created by African and Caribbean students who were deeply moved by the issues of the legacy of colonialism in France, as well as the exploitation of Black Allied soldiers during WWI. The followers of Négritude wanted the members of Western culture to admit the importance and influence of African heritage on their own culture. Some of the significant figures of this movement were Lépolod Sédar Senghor, Aimé Césaire, and Léon Damas. The creation of their group was influenced by the Harlem Renaissance that emerged in New York.

In the Négritude room, we can find Africa Restored (Cheryl as Cleopatra) by Kerry James Marshall. It is a large wall installation in the shape of the African continent covered by numerous objects, such as photographs, chains, and prints. They reference significant people connected with the Black freedom movement in the United States.

They also refer to Egyptian iconography that was embraced by the Black community in the 1970s to challenge Western ideas about the origins of Western civilization in Ancient Egyptian culture. For instance, the artist’s spouse, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, poses as Cleopatra.

Quilombismo

Quilombismo is a Brazilian movement that emerged in opposition to the slave trade. Kilombo in Kimbundu, the language of central Africa, means “war camp”, whereas in Brazilian quilombo stands for a self-governed rebel territory created by slave fugitives. As the wall text informs the visitors, there were around 5.8 million Africans who were brought to Brazil and enslaved, which makes it the highest number in the world. Quilombismo can be understood as an idea that calls for a Panafrica that would consist of global communities of local resistance.

In each room of Project a Black Planet dedicated to political ideas, the visitors can hear audio recordings of speeches delivered by key members of the mentioned movements. What is more, the wall texts are extremely clear and approachable, giving us the chance to understand each movement.

From the Political to the Individual

After introducing the political context, the curators focus on trying to capture the individual experience of Blackness. They invite us to contemplate various works in connection to the question of what it means to be Black. The exhibition smoothly continues to a section where one can find archival materials, such as books, newspaper and magazine clippings, letters, or posters that focus on Pan-Africanism, created from 1900 until contemporary times. The presence of these archives attests to the widespread character of the movement.

When thinking of an individual, we often might think about their surroundings, notably the home interior, which is another subject of the following rooms. When mentioning interiors, I cannot omit referring to the fabulous benches that were commissioned for Project a Black Planet with a Chicago-based artist, Norman Teague. The furniture acts both as a refuge for the tired visitors and additional art scattered throughout the show.

Pan-African Means Diversified

No fewer than 175 artists participated in Project a Black Planet. We can see works by artists who had solo shows in major museums in the last decade, such as Faith Ringgold, Wanegchi Mutu, Lynette Yiadom-Bokye, Zanele Muholi, Theaster Gates, and Lubaina Himid. However, I believe the purpose of this exhibition is also to teach us about artists we might not have heard about before. It not only educates about Pan-Africanism as a political movement but also as an idea that was realized in tangible objects.

The first and last rooms of the exhibition both begin with a presentation of flags. The visitors are welcomed by various interpretations of the red, black, and green flag of Pan-Africanism. As Adom Getachew explains:

The last room of Project a Black Planet showcases works by Kawira Mwirichia—renditions of flags that could be adopted by the LGBTQIA+ communities.

Project a Black Planet is an exhibition that welcomes expression from artists representing various African communities. It also welcomes all visitors to learn about and appreciate artists that they might not have been able to discover otherwise. Go see it while you still have the chance!

Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica is on view at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA, until March 30, 2025.