Iwalewahaus

Iwalewahaus, University of Bayreuth, is a place for the production and presentation of contemporary art. By doing exhibitions, academic research and teaching, by taking care of the collection and the archive as well as providing residencies for artists, recent developments in contemporary African and Diaspora culture are presented and refined together with artists and institutions. The mission of Iwalewahaus is to research, document and teach recent African culture. The focus is on visual arts, everyday culture, the media and music. The house provides space for lectures, conferences, concerts, film screenings and readings and is a vivid forum for artists, researchers, students of African studies and the interested public.

Research and teaching

Most of the Iwalewa-projects are developed in close cooperation with institutions from Africa and Europe and are supported by publications. The focus of the research is contemporary art, popular culture, the media - especially photography - as well as African modernity and museology. The following projects are part of the research: Africa Screams – Das Böse in Kino, Kunst und Kult (2004); Black Paris (2006); Hidden Pages, Stolen Bodies (2009); Piga Picha! (2008/2010) and Iwalewa - Quatre vues de l’Afrique contemporaine (2013).