Organized by the Délégation permanente de l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie auprès de l'Office des Nations Unies et des autres organisations internationales à Genève the Délégation permanente de l'Union africaine auprès de l'Office des Nations Unies et des autres organisations internationales à Genève
and co-organized by African Artists for Development Fund
AFRICAN LIGHTS
www.lumieresdafriques.com
Focusing on sustainable access to clean energy for the African continent, the works of
54 contemporary African artists are in Geneva for the 4th stage of Lumières d'Afriques.
On the initiative of African Artists for Development (AAD-fund), the Palais des Nations is hosting the Lumières d'Afriques exhibition, thanks to the support of the United Nations Office at Geneva, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and the African Union (AU).
The opening of the exhibition will be an opportunity for UNOG Director-General
UNOG Director-General Michael Møller, permanent observers Antoine Barbry of the OIF and Jean-Marie Ehouzou of the AU, and Matthias Leridon, co-chairman of AAD-fund, to celebrate a new "alliance for progress" in Geneva.
a new "alliance of progress" for sustainable development.
For the first time in the history of contemporary art, 54 artists
from every state on the African continent will each present a work conceived from the same inspiration: "Africa of the Enlightenment".
Through their creations, the painters, sculptors, photographers and video artists will offer visions, hopes, dreams and fears, reflecting the complexity, power and richness of the continent's contemporary art.
of the continent's contemporary art.
The Lumières d'Afriques exhibition is not only a tribute to contemporary African creativity, but also an invitation to visitors from all over the world to reflect on
its message: artists' confidence in Africa's future.
Its presentation at the heart of the United Nations is a powerful symbol of the crucial role played by the continent and African civil societies in promoting the goals of
Sustainable Development goals. This exhibition aims to evoke the renewal of art and philosophy in 21st-century Africa. And highlight the role that this great continent
continent aspires to occupy in the global concert of humanity and creation.
Lumières d'Afriques is also an artistic commitment that reminds us of the formidable future challenge of access to energy for the African continent. A large
A large proportion of its citizens are still deprived of electricity, which is a major obstacle to growth and development. The right to access energy must be a fundamental freedom of the individual in the 21st century.
The 54 artists involved in the project include: Malala Andrialavidrazana (Madagascar), Naziha Arebi (Libya), Nu Barreto (Guinea-Bissau), Jamila Lamrani (Morocco), Teddy Mazina
(Burundi), Hassan Musa (Sudan), Nyaba Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso), Amina Zoubir (Algeria), present their original works at the opening. They challenge the vision of an Africa that is sometimes misunderstood, too often stereotyped, and whose artistic force is inspired by the intensity of the artists' view of their daily lives, and by the depth of the global issues linked to the continent's growth.
African Artists for Development and its partners - including the Schneider Electric Foundation and communications consultancy TILDER - have brought this project to life. This fourth stage comes after the African stages in Abidjan at the Fondation Donwahi (2016) and Dakar, at the Institut fondamental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN) in the first quarter of 2017.
About African Artists for Development
Created in 2009 by Gervanne and Matthias Leridon in response to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations, the African Artists for Development endowment fund is a public interest organization
that supports community development projects in Africa through the creative work of contemporary African artists.
This original approach has earned it an award from the Clinton Global Initiative and observer membership of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
African Artists for Development was born of a profound conviction: the involvement of contemporary African artists alongside development project teams in Africa is one of the best levers for efficiency and success in building the continent's future.
www.aad-fund.org