Ibrahim El-Salahi: Barbican: Project a Black Planet

The term Pan-Africanism refers to a broad spectrum of political and philosophical movements advocating anti-colonial resistance and transnational solidarity amongst peoples of African descent. While it has long been recognised as a galvanising force in 20th-century global history, Project a Black Planet is the first major exhibition to consider both its influence on visual art and culture, and the critical role of artists in shaping Pan-African visions.

The exhibition presents work produced across Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, North America and Western Europe, from artists including Chris Ofili, Marlene Dumas and Claudette Johnson. The symbolic site of Panafrica is presented not as a fixed territory but as a conceptual terrain where rupture, dissent, and collective imagination converge in the pursuit of emancipatory futures.