Urban Cadence tells the multifaceted stories of two urban environments—Lagos, Nigeria and Johannesburg, South Africa—experienced through the artistic expressions of photography and video.
African cities are growing rapidly, and these two cities have experienced this growth in diverse yet fascinating ways: the first as a mega-city, the latter as a center of industrial development. The street scenes in this exhibition represent the complex narratives of these urban areas: tales of migration, labor, desperation, success, hope, and imagination among others.
Here, these stories are woven together with the theme of cadence, which speaks to the rhythms of life. Cadence is the gait of the artist or inhabitants of the city as they move through urban spaces. Cadence is a visual rhythm an artist creates when telling the city’s myriad stories. At the same time, it is a musical metaphor that artists draw on to speak about their images or their photographic practice. Whether sobering, humorous, or unexpected, the visuals of Urban Cadence challenge us to explore what it means to be urban in Africa in the early 21st century.
Featured artists: Akinbode Akinbiyi, Akintunde Akinleye, Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Jude Anogwih, Jodi Bieber, Donna Kukama, Sabelo Mlangeni, Uche Okpa-Iroha, and Jo Ractliffe.
Urban Cadence is organized for tour by The Gund at Kenyon College. The Gund exhibitions and programs are sponsored, in part, by The Gund Board of Directors and the Ohio Arts Council.
OPENING PARTY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 7 – 10 P.M. TICKETS: $20 GENERAL ADMISSION
$15 FOR WAM MEMBERS, UMN FACULTY AND STAFF FREE FOR STUDENTS
Join us for a party to celebrate the opening of WAM’s fall exhibition, Urban Cadence. The evening includes small bitesand a cash bar. Featuring a special live performance by Afrofusion musicianOBI ORIGINAL.
Image credits: (Top to Bottom) Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Captain Rugged 8, 2013, digital print, 76 cm X 81 cm. Akintunde Akinleye, Each Passing Day, 2006, digital print, 76 cm X 81 cm. Sabelo Mlangeni, Woman and city, 2012, gelatin silver print, 28 cm X 27 cm. All images courtesy of The Gund at Kenyon College.
OPENING PARTY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 7 – 10 P.M. TICKETS: $20 GENERAL ADMISSION $15 FOR WAM MEMBERS, UMN FACULTY AND STAFF FREE FOR STUDENTS Tickets → z.umn.edu/UCadenceOpeningTix Join us for a party to celebrate the opening of WAM’s fall exhibition, Urban Cadence. The evening includes small bites by WaZoBia and a cash bar. Featuring a special live performance by Afrofusion musician Obi Original. About the exhibition Urban Cadence tells the multifaceted stories of two urban environments—Lagos, Nigeria and Johannesburg, South Africa—as experienced through the…
Join us for a conversation on contemporary African photography with Nigerian photojournalist Akintunde Akinleye and Urban Cadence curator Carol Magee. In a world shaped by rapid urbanization, Akinleye’s lens is attuned to the pulse of evolving African cityscapes, capturing the energy, challenges, and transformative forces that accompany urban growth in post-colonial Africa. His work goes beyond urban narratives, weaving diverse perspectives that challenge stereotypes and offer nuanced portrayals of life and culture – enriching the visual record of the continent…
