Forgetting the tired, colonial gaze, A World in Common at C/O Berlin until the 7th of May is rewriting the visual language of African identity. Through bold, boundary-pushing photography, twenty-three artists reclaim history, challenge stereotypes, and imagine radical futures by reclaiming narratives, challenging colonial perspectives, and forging a collective vision of Africa’s past, present and future. This isn’t just an exhibition; it’s a revolution in how we see Africa curated by Osei Bonsu (Tate Modern) and Cale Garrido (C/O Berlin).
Divided into three thematic chapters – Identity and Tradition, Counter Histories, and Imagined Futures – the exhibition dismantles the Eurocentric gaze historically imposed on African societies. The works on display interweave personal and collective memory, utilising photography as a medium of resistance and self-representation. From the archival interventions of Délio Jasse, who overlays colonial-era portraits with official stamps to critique historical erasure, to Atong Atem’s vibrant studio portraits celebrating African diasporic identity, each artist contributes to a broader dialogue on representation and cultural resilience.
A pivotal aspect of the exhibition is its engagement with spirituality and traditional practices, themes particularly evident in the works of Rotimi Fani-Kayode and Maïmouna Guerresi. The former fuses Yoruba rituals with queer identity, disrupting conventional depictions of African masculinity, while the latter’s surreal compositions evoke the mystical and ceremonial aspects of Sufi traditions. Their images not only reclaim spiritual heritage but also challenge Western notions of gender, identity, and faith.
The second chapter, Counter Histories, highlights photography’s role in subverting colonial narratives. Family portraits, a historically significant tradition in African societies, become a tool for rewriting history. Lebohang Kganye’s photomontages superimpose her image onto old family photographs, creating an ancestral dialogue that speaks to memory, loss, and inheritance. Similarly, George Osodi’s regal portraits of Nigerian monarchs reclaim the dignity of figures whose authority was systematically diminished by colonial rule.
In Imagined Futures, the exhibition shifts its focus to pressing contemporary issues, such as migration and climate change. Fabrice Monteiro’s The Prophecy envisions dystopian environmental crises through elaborate costumed figures composed of waste materials, while Aïda Muluneh’s Water Life series critiques the impact of climate change on water access in Africa, using symbolic, hyper-stylised imagery that merges traditional aesthetics with urgent political concerns.
Beyond its visual impact, A World in Common fosters critical engagement through the C& Book Residency, an accompanying reading space curated by Contemporary And (C&). This initiative allows visitors to deepen their understanding of the exhibition’s themes through literature on African art, philosophy, and postcolonial discourse.
By foregrounding African artists’ agency in shaping their own narratives, A World in Common dismantles lingering colonial frameworks and envisions a world where African histories, traditions, and futures are told on their own terms. In doing so, the exhibition not only expands the canon of contemporary photography but also redefines Africa’s place in global visual culture.
The exhibition A World in Common is on view through May 7 at C/O Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 22–24 Berlin, Germany.
Malala Andrialavidrazana, Figures 1838, Atlas Élémentaire, 2015 © Malala Andrialavidrazana. Courtesy of the artist.
George Osodi, HRH Queen Hajiya Hadizatu Ahmedu Magajiya Of Knubwada, 2012 © George Osodi.
Atong Atem, Dit, 2015 © Atong Atem. Courtesy of MARS and the artist.
Kiripi Katembo, Evolution, 2008–2013, from the series Un regard © Fondation Kiripi Katembo Siku. Courtesy MAGNIN-A Gallery, Paris.