Luanda’s art scene forges a new narrative for Angola
In the centre of Luanda, a red neon sign on a three-story building adorns the facade of Hotel Globo. Built in 1950, after years of civil war, its once proud exterior has become a spectre of its former self. Despite its outwardly ruined structure, the hotel, once dubbed the most popular in Luanda, still retains an air of grandeur, representing the peak of modernist architecture in the African nation.
“It’s a safe space,” said Luanda-born artist Sandra Poulson, who is presently showing her work in the 60th Venice Biennale, remarking how, unlike other spaces in Luanda, there’s no security guard with a gun at the door. “It’s the kind of place where you just drop in even if you don’t need to—even if Jahmek is not open. There’s an integration between Jahmek and artists’ studios, where some artists also live – that is rare to find. There’s always a conversation to be had and it’s free, anyone can enter.”
Oil-rich Angola boasts a young and dynamic art scene sustained without government support. There are no dedicated art museums in the country, very few art schools – and art supplies are difficult to access.
For STIR
Over the last few years, a newfound energy can be felt pulsating through the building’s walls. Artists, creative producers and gallerists have re-occupied its spaces, transforming it into an arts hub. Jahmek Contemporary Art, one of Angola’s foremost contemporary art galleries, is based there, as is the project Fuckin’ Globo, a leading Angolan platform for intellectual and artistic discourse, bringing together artists, filmmakers, producers, curators and performers.
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