The Divine Comedy Exhibition - 08.04.15 - 01.11.15

Curated by the internationally acclaimed writer and art critic Simon Njami, this dramatic multi-media exhibition reveals the ongoing global relevance of Dante Alighieri’s 14th century epic as part of a shared intellectual heritage. Including original commissions and renowned works of art by approximately 40 of the most dynamic contemporary artists from 19 African nations and the diaspora, this visually stunning exhibition will be the first to take advantage of the museum’s pavilion and stairwells, as well as galleries on the first and third floors.

Celebrated artists like Ethiopian Aida Muluneh, Kader Attia, Wangechi Mutu, and Yinka Shonibare explore the themes of paradise, purgatory, and hell with video, photography, printmaking, painting, sculpture, fiber arts, and mixed-media installation. In so doing, they probe diverse issues of politics, heritage, history, identity, faith, and the continued power of art to express the unspoken and intangible.

Open daily 10:00am - 5:30pm

8 April 2015 at 6:00pm - 2 November 2015 at 1:30am

Smithsonian, The National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC 20013

Price: FREE