Art World : Arts of Africa in New York Spring 2026

 © Parker / Calvert / CKA / 1-54 New York

By PETRA MASON April 6th, 2026

Globally May 2026 is a big month for contemporary arts of Africa. La Biennale di Venezia opens May 9th in Venice, Italy. The 61st Biennale ‘In Minor Keys’ by the late Koyo Kouoh opens exactly a year after her death and promises ‘an on-going engagement’ with the Cameroonian-Swiss art curators ideas in the cluster of former shipyards and armories that is the Venetian Arsenale.

© Lavett Ballard, Sister Circle, 2026, Mixed media collage on reclaimed wood panel,

Courtesy Galerie Myrtis / 1-54 New York

Considered the global capital of the art market, cultures collide in New York. On the long, narrow island of Manhattan, spring is flexing. Uptown and downtown the city has more contemporary visual art from the continent of Africa on view than anywhere else in the Americas. Even after living in the city for 20 years, visiting is still overwhelming. From the sacred to the profane WM contributor [since 2016] Petra Mason selects the key pan-African art exhibitions and locations to submerge yourself in. 

  © 1-54 Marrakech at La Mamounia / 1-54 New York

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair: Starting at the legendary Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea with the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair showcasing 20 exhibitors from Lagos to London, São Paulo to Nassau, the 1-54 New York 2026 line-up encourages a new generation of buyers,12 countries and 20 galleries, talks, and collaborations promising new encounters and perspectives across this year’s fair. Special project 1-54 Presents : Brazil Beyond Brazil is led by Brazilian curator and professor Igor Simões. Brazil Beyond Brazil explores transnational diasporic narratives while centering artistic practices with deep trans-Atlantic historical and cultural connections. “1-54 Presents further enriches this dialogue through the lens of Afro-Brazilian artistic practice. Each edition strengthens our commitment to championing diverse perspectives and connecting audiences to the dynamic and ever-expanding narratives of the African diaspora,” 1-54 Founding Director Touria El Glaoui concludes.

New York, London and Marrakech annual editions have a continued partnership with Office National Marocain du Tourisme (ONMT), the fair’s Global Destination Partner. For this New York edition ONMT curates a culture lounge reflecting their commitment to creating spaces that celebrate the richness of Morocco.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination: on the West Side at MoMA. 'Ideas of Africa' is a historic overview of photography from Central and West African cities. Ideas of Africa Portraiture and Political Imagination showcases 'how photographic portraits fuel ideas of pan-African subjectivity and solidarity.' The exhibition 'considers the transatlantic call and response between the African continent and the Civil Rights movement in the United States.' Ideas of Africa is the third exhibition organized at The Museum of Modern Art to celebrate the gift of modern and contemporary African art from the collection of French-Italian photographer, fashion designer and collector Jean Pigozzi. 

Oumar Ka. Untitled (Two Women with Thatched Roof House). 1959–68. Gelatin silver print, printed 2024, 17 × 17″ (43.2 × 43.2 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Bernard Lumpkin and Carmine Boccuzzi in honor of Darren Walker.

© Oumar Ka Estate, courtesy Axis Gallery, NY.

Art historian and Axis Gallery New York co-founder Gary Van Wyk considers the exhibition and acquisiton of Oumar Ka: “A milestone exhibition for MoMA, embracing African photographers’ visions of modernity—and not only in cities but also in the countryside, as in the oeuvre of Oumar Ka, the first Senegalese photographer to enter the collection.”

Installation view, Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination, on view at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, from December 14, 2025, through July 25, 2026. Photo by Jonathan Dorado © The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Malick Sidibé. Regardez-moi! (Look at Me!). 1962. Gelatin silver print, printed 2003. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Jean Pigozzi. © 2025 Malick Sidibé. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

Anchored by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum Mile, next to Central Park, from 82nd to 110th Streets is considered one of the densest concentrations of culture in the world. Pro-tip: a Museum Mile visit should always conclude with Fifth Avenue downtown MTA bus ride (get a window seat).  The Africa Center, all the way at the top at 110th Street is 'positioned as a gateway for engagement with contemporary Africa', and one that is aimed at expanding our understanding of contemporary Africa through culture via evolving art installations showcasing contemporary African artists across platforms.

© Seydou Keïta. Untitled.1954. Gelatin silver print, printed later. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.The Jean Pigozzi African Art Collection. 

"There is no one way we can describe black art, we understand the multiplicity of voices, multiplicity of ways of seeing and imagining," - Thelma Golden Director, The Studio Museum in Harlem said recently. 

The Studio Museum in Harlem, led by Thelma Golden, has been championing artists of African descent since 1968. The iconic institution is credited with helping change and diversify the art world. Centering the ‘Harlem Renaissance’ that articulated ‘new negro’ artists engaging with the contemporary art world. Following a $160 million dollar renovation, The Studio Museum recently opened in a all new 7-story building. The museum’s collection is like a who is who of Black artists and an extensive history highlighting the multiplicity of Black artists.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Rockefeller Wing: The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.

Chéri Chérin, De l’Art Naif A l’Art Contemporain, 2022, Oil on сanvas, 127 x 172 cm.

Courtesy 1-54 New York participating GalleryArticle15. Specialist in contemporary Congolese art. 

New York, NY: 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair returns to Manhattan at the Starrett-Lehigh Building May 13–17, 2026. 

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) https://www.moma.org in Midtown showcases Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination on view through July 25, 2026.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 5th Ave): Reopening its Rockefeller Wing, the Met features new acquisitions in its Arts of Africa galleries.The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025 and should not be missed.

The Africa Center https://theafricacenter.org/ at 110th Street, Museum Mile Harlem

The Studio Museum in Harlem located in Harlem on 125th Street https://www.studiomuseum.org/

'In Minor Keys' at The Venice Biennale May 9th until November 22, 2026 https://www.labiennale.org/en/art/2026.