Curated by Riitta Aarniokoski, Arja Miller, Pirkko Siitari, and Jari-Pekka Vanhala

Explaining “Is Africa,” the ambitious theme of ARS 11, former Kiasma Museum director Berndt Arell writes, “I do not just want to show things, but rather to make people experience Africa with all their senses.” And so, for this fiftieth edition of Finland’s largest annual exhibition, some thirty artists will provide perspectives on Africa as a cultural phenomenon, with particular emphasis on its western and southern regions. The show will recognize the continent’s contemporary art stars—Benin-born Georges Adéagbo, Senegalese Samba Fall—but will also include the likes of Chilean Alfredo Jaar and others with an international or “outsider” perspective. Coinciding with related shows at institutions across Finland and over the Swedish border, the effort promises to reveal the full spectrum of Africa’s burgeoning urban cultures and media art.

— Ina Blom