Sanjo Lawal, Emergency State of Mind, 2023
The Polysemy of Play
Inspired by the polysemic concept of play, this curatorial project establishes a space for experimentation and discovery, where artistic creation asserts itself as a field of freedom and inquiry. Here, playfulness is not merely a spontaneous and carefree act but a critical mechanism that destabilizes fixed interpretations and opens pathways for new discursive possibilities. The project encourages a dynamic interaction between artwork and viewer, fostering a sensory and intellectual engagement that merges creative expression with a reflection on the narrative structures shaping our perception of history and contemporary reality.
At the same time, the curatorial project examines the implications of decoloniality in the global artistic landscape, exploring how contemporary African art challenges and reconfigures historical paradigms imposed by Eurocentric narratives. More than a commentary on colonial heritage, this proposal seeks to highlight how African artists, through their practice, claim new spaces of legitimacy and enunciation, transforming their work into a platform for cultural redefinition. The selection of works by Ibrahim Bemba Kebe (Mali, 1996), Osvaldo Ferreira (Angola, 1980), and Sanjo Lawal (Nigeria, 1997) serves as a means to revisit historical legacies and foster a critical reflection capable of questioning dominant interpretations of contemporary artistic production.
As a striking focal point of the booth, a standalone mural wall at the front features an installation of ten works from António Faria’s series Delicate Flowers That Are Not Afraid of Death. This addition strengthens the conceptual dialogue between the themes of introspection, decolonial discourse, and the evolving narratives of contemporary African art. Recently presented in our Lisbon gallery, António Faria’s work is deeply rooted in the notion of melancholy and the exploration of inner landscapes, where nature becomes a reflection of the self. While his Portuguese-European background distances him from direct colonial narratives, his work resonates with the existential turmoil that communities have endured throughout history. His compositions, simultaneously monumental and deeply intimate, do not function as historical chronicles but rather as mirrors of emotions, fostering an allegorical engagement with the complexities of memory, displacement, and identity.
Through his intricate monochromatic drawings, Faria’s visual language expands the curatorial discourse beyond postcolonial critique, promoting a universal meditation on human experience and resilience. This subtle and transversal perspective enriches the curatorial proposal, reinforcing the project’s intention to establish bridges between contemporary artistic expressions and the territories of history and emotion.
Developed specifically for Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2025, this curatorial project establishes an intersection between play as a space for artistic creation and a critical reflection on the remnants of colonialism and its redefinition in the present. The transformative nature of art is emphasized here in its discursive dimension, serving as a field for symbolic negotiation and the affirmation of multiple subjectivities.
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