Out of Context is curated by Yellowzine and features photographs, illustrations and AI-generated images by contemporary West African and diaspora artists Tamibé Bourdanné, Osaze Amadasun and HUMAN TAKES FLIGHT® by Oreoluwa Ayoade. The exhibition opens at the Horniman in South London on 6 December.
Photographer Tamibé Bourdanné focuses on Vodou traditions in the country of Benin. His images capture the humanity and beauty of Vodou followers and their traditions, presenting a deep and respectful insight into this often-misunderstood spiritual practice.
Lagos-based illustrator and designer Osaze Amadasun pays homage to the ancient kingdom of Benin in his series of works drawing on intricate designs from Benin Kingdom art, particularly the endless knot. His Bini Playing Cards, featuring key figures and iconography from Benin’s classical art, offer a unique and playful way to engage with cultural history for his local audiences in Nigeria where access to the Benin ‘bronzes’ is limited.
HUMAN TAKES FLIGHT® by Oreoluwa Ayoade undertakes a creative AI exploration, reflecting on how the ‘artification’ of cultural objects diminishes their true meaning. Typical museum descriptions of eight objects from the Benin Kingdom, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Togo are used as text-to-image prompts, which then progressively depart from reality to experiment with alternate materials and forms. The result is a series of intriguing images including ice-sculpture heads and translucent glass masks.
Out of Context was conceived as a complementary exhibition to the Horniman’s new The Great Kingdom of Benin display in the World Gallery. Benin ‘bronze’ plaques – returned to Nigerian ownership in 2022 and now on loan to the Horniman – appear in the display alongside contemporary and community-produced artworks, telling a fuller story of the Great Kingdom of Benin and Benin City today.
"Who are you to decide what is art?" This question lies at the heart of Out of Context, a response to the way cultural items – like the Benin Bronzes – are often perceived in the Western world. By framing these objects solely as “art”, Western institutions strip them of the rich cultural contexts they were created to inhabit. Through various mediums, the artists in this exhibition challenge the concept of context, shining a light on its importance and its role in how we engage with cultural traditions and objects.
Contemporary West African artists are also represented in The Great Kingdom of Benin display, including:
- Osaru Obaseki’s bronze sculpture Ame / Oyevbamen ‘Like Water’, made using the traditional lost wax technique
- 12th the Creator, who worked with Benin City schoolchildren to create a bespoke wallpaper backdrop to the display.
Out of Context is free to visit and will be on display at the Horniman Museum and Gardens until the end of November 2025.
Lead image: Bini Playing Card, digital art 2019, © Osaze Amadasun