Across its nearly 150-year history, The Art Institute of Chicago has never had a Pan-African exhibit. In 2024, the museum sought to change that.

In late December, Chicago’s historic Art Institute opened its doors to “Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica.” With an entrance characterized by its ceiling-high pink banner, wall murals and a pharaoh shaped disco ball, this unique exhibition, which runs through March 30, provides an insightful window into Pan-Africanist thought and culture. 

Adom Getachew, political science professor at the University of Chicago, and Antawan Byrd, assistant professor of art history at Northwestern University, were curators of the exhibit. Both said a holistic approach was taken during the selection process.

“We didn’t seek out any specific kinds of art during the design process,” Getachew said. “One of our main considerations was trying to depict a wide range of time. Our oldest piece is from the 1920s, and our most recent is from some time last year.”

This is corroborated by the museum’s website, which touts the 350 pieces on display that span the last century. Pan-Africanism can be traced back to the turn of the 20th century, has always sought to unify and recognize members of the wider African diaspora. The curators captured this nuance by showcasing art from Africa, North and South America and Europe, as well as art from different positions of power. 

“We looked for anything that opened up to Pan-African ideas,” Byrd said. “Some pieces are very overt, others less so. We highlight interdisciplinary artists so some are from a fine art background, and others are more folk art.”

Byrd said the curatorial team benefitted from the ability to pull from other pre established Black art exhibits and synthesize them into this one. 

The aforementioned entrance murals, entitled “Art of the Negro” and made by Illinois native artist Hale Woodruff, are immediately juxtaposed by hanging flags and collages in the next room. The chosen artworks for this exhibit are guided by three somewhat contradictory Black political movements — Garveyism, Négritude, and Quilombismo — all schools of Pan-African thought. 

Proceeding into the exhibit, you’ll find yourself enveloped in the voices of Marcus Garvey and Audre Lorde coming from the speakers, two figures whose work doesn’t always coalesce. For Getachew, this complexity is key to understanding the Pan-African movement.

“It’s an ongoing cultural project,” Getachew said. “It has its ebbs and flows. It fell in popularity, and it’s rising again. We did our best to capture that.”

The exhibit features pieces from Chicago artist Norman Teague, who contributed his unique sculptures. His pieces serve as benches and seats, sewn with traditional African textiles. By including this kind of art, the exhibit offers a more tactile experience than most.

“Teague gave us art you can interact with in a different way,” Getachew said. “It enables a comprehensive experience that goes beyond visuals, inviting visitors to sit and take in the exhibit through touch.”

Surrounding these interactive art pieces, visitors can find books and bulletins from famous Black thought leaders like W.E.B. DuBois and James

Baldwin, as well as more niche and often overlooked inclusions like books on Afro-Asian women. 

These elements make the exhibit a lot to chew through for visitors, but this sense of discovery has created a communal experience. Tremell Smith, a security guard at the Art Institute, enjoys finding new things alongside museumgoers.

“For me it’s a sense of happiness,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun helping them see things in the art, and they help me do the same.”

Smith may have thousands of interactions with museum visitors a day, and these positive associations with the art emphasize the curators’ intentions and Pan-Africanism itself. 

According to the Art Institute’s website, “Panafrica, the promised land named in the exhibition title, is presented as a conceptual place where arguments about decolonization, solidarity, and freedom are advanced and negotiated with the aim of an emancipatory future.” 

The relevance of a Black art exhibit can’t be overstated at a time when DEI initiatives are being rescinded and racial education is under attack. Byrd believes their work has never been more needed.

“I think it’s important that we created an exhibition highlighting primarily Black artists,” Byrd said. “I’m glad it’s one that showcases such a range of experiences.”

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