New York Exhibition "Between Distance and Desire" Reimagines African Art Through Diasporic Perspectives

The Soloviev Foundation Gallery’s bold new show challenges colonial narratives and centers contemporary Black aesthetics.

NEW YORK, NY — A powerful new exhibition is set to open at the Soloviev Foundation Gallery on May 1, 2025, that promises to reshape the way we view African art—both past and present. Between Distance and Desire: African Diasporic Perspectives, curated by Tumelo Mosaka, brings together eight cutting-edge contemporary artists with traditional works from the Foundation’s collection to spark a timely dialogue on identity, history, and imagination.

Africa, Bamana, Male ciwara headdress (19th century). Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art.

Located on the ground floor of the Soloviev Group’s iconic tower at 9 West 57th Street, the exhibition spans sculpture, painting, assemblage, and performance. Its goal? To dismantle colonial-era narratives and reframe African art in a modern, global context—one rooted in agency, innovation, and cultural continuity.

“The Soloviev Foundation Gallery is dedicated to fostering dialogue that challenges historical narratives and encourages a deeper understanding of global artistic practices, particularly those rooted in the African diaspora,” said Stefan Soloviev, chairman of the Soloviev Group.

Art That Speaks Across Time and Space

The exhibition features work from celebrated contemporary artists including Edson Chagas, Kim Dacres, vanessa german, Eblin Grueso, Emmanuel Massillon, Zizipho Poswa, Robert Pruitt, and Nyugen E. Smith. These artists blend media, geographies, and temporalities to construct complex, layered visions of Black identity—using everything from discarded materials to performance and monumental sculpture.

Eblin Grueso, El Bato (2018). Photo: Eblin Grueso.

One standout is Grueso’s “El Bato” (2018), a compelling exploration of masculinity, tradition, and cultural displacement. Set in dialogue with 19th-century African objects such as a Bamana male ciwara headdress, these modern works both echo and disrupt the aesthetic traditions that have long been misinterpreted through colonial lenses.

Rather than placing traditional objects on pedestals in isolation, Mosaka presents them as part of a living, breathing conversation—sometimes even leaving them in their shipping crates, challenging the viewer to consider the “afterlives” of African artifacts when not on display.

Africa, Dan, Mask (19th – 20th century). Photo: Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art

Reclaiming the Narrative

The show intentionally breaks away from conventional presentations of African art. Masks and sculptures are not seen as static remnants of a past culture, but as active participants in contemporary discourse. The curation invites visitors to engage with questions of urbanization, environmental change, gender, and neocolonialism—all through the visual language of diaspora.

“By revisiting these complex histories, the artists and curator utilize modes of play and fantasy to offer alternative perspectives about the past, present, and future of Black aesthetics,” reads the exhibition statement.

More Than an Exhibition—A Catalyst for Conversation

Eblin Grueso, El Bato (2018). Photo: Eblin Grueso

Between Distance and Desire isn't just about viewing—it’s about rethinking. Through Mosaka’s visionary curation, the gallery becomes a space of possibility and imagination, foregrounding syncretism, resilience, and beauty as key themes of African diasporic expression.

Mosaka, who also serves as the Mellon Arts Project Director with African American and Diaspora Studies at Columbia University, has long been recognized for his work in expanding conversations around transnational art from Africa, the Caribbean, and North America.

The exhibition will remain on view through December 31, 2025, and guests are encouraged to reserve visits in advance through the Soloviev Foundation’s website.