‘Curating as a practice of Love’

27th of June – 7 pm

Conversation between Adama Sanneh and Simon Njami, coordenated by Monica de Miranda. This first conversation is part of a series of conversations related to the theme of investigating the practice of curating as a practice of love.

The conversation by Simon Njami, who is a Cameroonian Paris-based independent curator, lecturer, art critic and novelist will look at the deconstruction of notions of Africa, identity and looks at the complexity of identities and looks at the world beyond regional borders. He will discuss how this is influencing the production and the perception of what it means to be an artist today and curating artists from the south . There was a time when the notion of curating was restricted to certain areas. There was a time when the notions of Center and Periphery were highly discussed. There was a time when art history was exclusive rather than inclusive. There was, finally, a time when the notion of contemporaneity was restricted to certain geographical areas.” “My question is: has anything changed? And if yes, why and how? And what does the notion of globalization really represent in our contemporary times and is that discussion included in our practices?

Simon Njami is a Paris-based independent curator, lecturer, writer and art critic. Njami was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of “Revue Noire“ a journal of contemporary African and extra-occidental art. He has served as artistic director of the Bamako photography biennale for ten years. He co-curated the first African pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007 and curated the first African Art Fair, held in Johannesburg in 2008. He has served for ten years (2000/2010) as cultural advisor for the AFAA the cultural branch of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (today Institut Français) in their cultural cooperation policy. He was member of numerous art and photography juries (10 years at Worldpress). Njami has curated numerous exhibitions of contemporary art and photography, including Africa Remix (2004-2007) and The Divine Comedy (Frankfurt, Savanna, Washington DC, 2014/15) African Metropolis (MAXXI, Rome, 2018) and two Editions of the Dak’Art Biennale (2016/2018). He was member of the scientific boards of numerous museums and a Visiting Professor at UCSD (University of San Diego California). He has directed the Pan African master classes in photography (2008/2019), project that he conceived with the Goethe Institut and he is the advisor of AtWork educational format that he co-created with Moleskine Foundation in 2012 and continues to conduct it until the present moment. He is also currently setting up the permanent collection of contemporary art for the Memorial Acte museum in Guadeloupe. Njami has published seven books, including essays and novels.

Adama Sanned brings a unique hybrid background in management and cultural studies to his work designing and building innovative organizations able to generate social impact.

Under his leadership as CEO, Moleskine Foundation has been focused on building educational tools and experiences that help foster critical thinking, creative doing, and life- long learning, focusing on youth and underserved communities. His mandate continues with a clear mission for the Foundation: becoming the global leader in the creativity for social change field.

Adama grew up in Monza, Italy, and graduated in Linguistic and Cultural Mediation from the University of Milan. He worked for several years in East Africa on rural development and humanitarian emergency programs and in social innovation with the United Nations. He obtained a Master in Public Management (MPM) from the Bocconi School of Management and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Geneva.

Adama is also part of the advisory board of Ashoka Italia, Brand Counsel member at BrandAfrica, Advisor at OperaFutura, and TEDx speaker, to pursue his commitment to explore and leverage the intersection of business, creativity, culture, and social change to create new and meaningful public value.

Mónica de Miranda has a master’s degree in art and education from the Institute of Education, London and a PhD from Middlesex, in London, having been an FCT fellow. Mónica is one of the founders of the artistic residency project of the Triangle Network in Portugal and also of Xerem and the Hangar of which she is the artistic director. He coordinated art and social intervention programs in London for 10 years. He worked for this purpose in institutions such as Tate Britain, the British Museum, the British Council, the Goethe Institute. In Portugal, he coordinated six editions of the Triangle Network workshop (2010-2016). He participated in several residencies that he organized and produced: Viagens invisiveis (São Tomé Biennial, 2013), Verbal Eyes (Tate Britain, 2009); Muyehlekete (National Museum of Art, Maputo, 2008) Living Together (British Council/ Iniva, Georgia/London 2008). Among his individual exhibitions, the following stand out: Fieldworks (Museu Berardo- Novo Banco photo); Panorama(Tyburn Gallery,London2017); Journey to the Center of the Earth (Sabrina Amrani, Madrid 2017);Arquipélago (Carlos Carvalho, Lisbon, 2014), Erosion (Appleton Square, Lisbon, 2013). Among the group exhibitions, the following stand out: Dakar Bienal (2016); Bamako Photography Encounters (2015); Hotel Globo (Museu do Chiado, 2015); São Jorge Island 14th Venice Architecture Biennale; Once upon a time” (Carpe Diem, Lisbon, 2012); L’Art est un sport de combat (Musée des Beaux Arts de Calais, France, 2011),From silence to the other Anthem (Portuguese Cultural Center, Mindelo, Praia 2010); This location” (Mojo gallery, Dubai, 2010); She Devil (Studio Stefania Miscetti, Rome 2010; Do you hear me (Estado do mundo, FCGulbenkian, Lisbon, 2008); United Nations (Singapore Fringe Festival, 2007). Miranda also participated in Arco (2014) and Paris Foto (2013) . She received a grant from DG Artes with the Underconstruction project (2009), by FCG and IC with the New Geographies project 2008.