RALEIGH, N.C.—El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa traces the prolific career of El Anatsui—one of contemporary art’s most celebrated practitioners—from his early woodwork in Ghana to today’s metal wall sculptures created in his studio in Nigeria, offering an unprecedented chance for visitors to follow the artist’s creative development over 40 years.
Of the 61 works featured, the exhibition includes eight spectacular metal wall sculptures made from thousands of bottle caps as well as numerous works from the artist’s own collection that have never been shown outside of Africa before this retrospective.
“Not only is he one of the most important artists working today, he also appeals to an incredibly broad audience,” said Linda Dougherty, curator of contemporary art. “His work is some of the most accessible and popular art of our time.”
The exhibition explores Anatsui’s unique practice of transforming simple materials—often discarded or overlooked pieces such as driftwood, milk tins, and bottle tops—into luminous and striking works of art that tell personal and universal stories.
“One thing that I have grown into is working with things which have been used before—things which link people together,” Anatsui said. “I don’t know about DNA, but if you touch something, you leave a charge on it, and anybody else touching it connects with you in a way.”
On view at the North Carolina Museum of Art March 18–July 29, 2012, When I Last Wrote to You about Africa unites the full range and variety of Anatsui’s work and includes highlights of the drawings, prints, paintings, and works in wood, ceramic, and metal that have brought the Ghanaian-born artist critical acclaim and recognition as an artistic tour de force.
In 2008 the Museum commissioned Anatsui to create Lines That Link Humanity, a wall sculpture to commemorate the opening of the Museum’s West Building in 2010. Described by Museum Director Larry Wheeler as “one of the most popular and significant pieces in the collection,” the sculpture honors a milestone for the North Carolina Museum of Art and is a spectacular addition to the Museum’s permanent collection by an internationally renowned contemporary artist.
“We are thrilled to offer a new opportunity for our visitors to engage with one of today’s most extraordinary creators,” said Larry Wheeler, director of the North Carolina Museum of Art. “This unprecedented collection of Anatsui’s work presents a witty, poignant, and visually stunning experience for all audiences.”
A dynamic interspersion of large-scale floor installations, gestural acrylic paintings, and ink drawings, forms a vibrant layout designed to engage visitors throughout the exhibition.
Organized by the Museum for African Art, New York, the exhibition is accompanied by the richly illustrated catalogue, El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa, with contributions by notable scholars, published with the assistance of the Getty Foundation.
Location
East Building: Meymandi Exhibition Gallery
Hours
Tuesday–Thursday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tickets
$10 Adults
$8 Seniors, Students 13+, groups of 10 or more
$5 Children 7-12
Free Children 6 and under
Free admission for college students with current ID, Fridays 5–9 pm
Tickets may be purchased online at ncartmuseum.org, by phone at (919) 715-5923, or in person at the Museum Box Office in East Building.
Group Tours
Docent-led and self-guided group tours of El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa are now being booked. For adult groups, including tours and tour-lunch packages, contact Christine Molesky at (919) 664-6785 or christine.molesky@ncdcr.gov.
For student opportunities, including limited posttour studio programs for K–12 groups, contact Jen Coon at (919) 664-6820 or jcoon@ncartmuseum.org. Reservations are required; space is limited.
Media Resources
Online Newsroom: www.ncartmuseum.org/anatsuinews
Exhibition Overview: www.ncartmuseum.org/elanatsui
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ncartmuseum
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ncartmuseum
Listing of exhibition-related events and programs available upon request.
Remaining Tour Schedule
North Carolina Museum of Art
March 18–July 29, 2012
Denver Art Museum
September 9–December 30, 2012
University of Michigan Museum of Art
February 2–April 28, 2013
In the Galleries
Film
In Anatsui at Work, director Susan Vogel follows the artist for two years on three continents as he demonstrates his artistic process. The documentary plays on continuous loop in Gallery 3, adjacent to the main exhibition. Total run time: 28 min.
Community Exhibition
Lines That Link Communities features original art inspired by El Anatsui created as part of a collaborative effort between NCMA educators and school groups, senior communities, and families across North Carolina.
Image Captions
El Anatsui, Zebra Crossing III, 2007, aluminum and copper wire, 61 x 107 in., Photo courtesy Jack Shainman Gallery
El Anatsui, Open(ing) Market (detail), 2004, tin, paper, wood, and paint, dimensions variable (1,767 pieces), Photo courtesy October Gallery
About the Exhibition
El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa is organized by the Museum for African Art, New York. Supported, in part, by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts.
In Raleigh support is provided by Lord Corporation. This exhibition is also made possible, in part, by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources; the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc.; and the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment for Educational Exhibitions.
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The North Carolina Museum of Art’s permanent collection spans more than 5,000 years, from ancient Egypt to the present, making the institution one of the premier art museums in the Southeast. The Museum’s collection provides educational, aesthetic, intellectual, and cultural experiences for the citizens of North Carolina and beyond. The 164-acre Museum Park showcases the connection between art and nature through site-specific works of environmental art. The Museum offers changing national touring exhibitions, classes, lectures, family activities, films, and concerts.
Admission to the Museum’s permanent collection and Museum Park is free. Museum hours are Tuesday–Thursday and Saturday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Closed Monday. For more information about the Museum, visit www.ncartmuseum.org.
The Museum recently opened West Building, the new home to the permanent collection. The North Carolina Museum of Art, Lawrence J. Wheeler, director, is located at 2110 Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh. It is the art museum of the State of North Carolina, Beverly Eaves Perdue, governor, and an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources, Linda A. Carlisle, secretary.