Top Emerging Artists Ingrid Mwangi Robert Hutter, Magema Michele, Mostapha Romli, Joana Choumali, Mouna Jemal Siala & Abdelmalek Berhiss

The LA Art Show is embarking on a three-year journey exploring the African contemporary art scene. Curated by Marisa Caichiolo and Mostapha Romli, this curatorial project will shed light on the exciting emerging artists whose ideas are shaping a generation, and an entire continent. Year one, Continental Shift presents an overview of top artists representing North, Central and South Africa. Working in photography and video installation, artists Ingrid Mwangi Robert Hutter, Magema Michele, Mostapha Romli, Joana Choumali, Mouna Jemal Siala & Abdelmalek Berhiss examine culture and creativity in Kenya, Congo, Morocco, Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire.  

“With the economies of many African countries growing rapidly, the continent's cities are beginning to reflect the enormous potential for creating a new urban realm as well as a new vision in arts. Africa’s contemporary art scene characterized by a myriad of remarkable artists who paved the way for the next generation, and a fast growing emerging young artists. Using their artwork to read Africa’s socio-economic reality, political issues and reach traditions and beauty. In this small curatorial project we will go beyond aesthetics and dive deep into the conceptual world.   These emerging artists from South, Central and North Africa continue to influence the evolution of Contemporary Art in Africa, today.” Marisa Caichiolo, co-curator of Africa Contemporary.

The LA Art Show will be the first major art fair to focus on African Contemporary Art. While known primarily for tribal and ethnographic arts in the Western world, the contemporary arts of Africa have been growing in momentum. Exciting and vibrant, the art and artists draw from their diverse experience to showcase a continent that is in one way quite exotic, with a common thread of humanity that is universal.

The western world tends to look at Africa as one homogeneous place, with one cultural identity, but it is no more so, than Europe or North America. The second largest continent in the world, Africa is comprised of 54 individual countries and many more unique cultures or ethnicities reside within. The African artists go beyond aesthetics and look deep into concept as they interpret their complex socio-economic realities, political challenges and rich traditions.   

Africa Contemporary–A Curatorial Project begins with a survey show at the 2016 LA Art Show. The 2017 edition will focus on North Africa, moving into Central Africa in 2018 and finally South Africa in 2019. The goal of the program is to shed light on the remarkable works and artists that are interpreting, shaping and changing culture. Well-respected, featured artists have each represented their respective countries in biennales.

Marisa Caichiolo is an artist and curator Born in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, she had her PHD in Art History and Art Therapy from the University of Buenos Aires she moved to Los Angeles in 2000 working for the Film Industry, she was working for Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures in 2005 she started an art project , Building Bridges Art Exchange and working mainly internationally as part of curatorial teams and projects for biennials, Museums and Cultural Centers, Caichiolo is collaborating with LA Art Show with certain curatorial projects especially from Latin America since 2012.

Mostapha Romli is an artist and curator. Born in Touissit, a small town in the West of Morocco, Romli has always seen photography as a means not to reproduce, but to reconstruct reality.

In recent years, the LA Art Show has become the most internationally diverse art platform in the Western world, bringing in the largest groupings of Korean, Chinese and Japanese galleries outside of Asia. Beginning in 2010, the Show has actively developed its international gallery offerings to provide collectors with a unique opportunity, to spot international trends and zeitgeist through art, a medium that has the ability to transcend language.  

The LA Art Show takes place from January 27-31, 2016 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall A 1201 South Figueroa Street, 90015. For additional information, visit www.laartshow.com. General admission to the LA Art Show is $20.