Which New York museum is featuring 'Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination' from December 2025 to July 2026?

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City is currently showcasing 'Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination,' an insightful exhibition that runs from December 14, 2025, through July 25, 2026. This compelling display explores how photographic portraits became a powerful medium for fostering Pan-African subjectivity and solidarity during a pivotal period in history. The exhibition delves into the "transatlantic call and response" that helped shape Africa as a political idea, particularly against the backdrop of decolonial movements across the continent and the Civil Rights movement in the United States.

The exhibition is the third of its kind organized by MoMA to celebrate a significant 2019 gift of modern and contemporary African art from collector Jean Pigozzi. Visitors can expect to see core works from this collection, alongside recent acquisitions and key loans. Curated by Oluremi C. Onabanjo, the exhibition features striking photographs by influential artists such as Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé, Jean Depara, and Sanlé Sory, who captured everyday life, vibrant music scenes, and emerging youth culture in Central and West African cities. It also highlights photographers like James Barnor and Kwame Brathwaite, who worked in Europe and North America, contributing to the broader understanding of Africa as a political concept.

'Ideas of Africa' offers an engaging look at how these images, far beyond simple documentation, actively contributed to a political imagination. The exhibition demonstrates the creative potential of photographic portraiture and its profound political resonance across the globe, inviting viewers to consider the circulation of ideas and images across different spaces and times. This collection underscores the museum's commitment to presenting diverse narratives and expanding the understanding of global modern and contemporary art.