La Biennale di Venezia and the V&A present Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Power in West Africa

Press Cuttings:

“La Biennale di Venezia and the V&A present Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Power in West Africa. Organised in collaboration with the Architectural Association (AA), London, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, this presentation at the Biennale Architettura 2023 critically reflects on the imperial history of Tropical Modernism through an analysis of the work of the Department of Tropical Architecture and a dozen key projects. It explores the ways in which this distinctive architectural style was initially developed and employed as a tool to support colonial rule before being adapted by West African architects to promote the excitement and possibilities of the period that followed Ghana becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence in 1957.

Curated by Dr Christopher Turner (V&A) with Nana Biamah-Ofosu and Bushra Mohamed (AA), the Venice presentation in the Applied Arts Pavilion is centred around a multi-channel film installation featuring interviews with surviving protagonists and footage of remaining buildings. Responding to the theme of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition conceived by Director Lesley Lokko, who writes ‘Africa is the laboratory of the future’ in her curatorial statement for the Biennale Architettura 2023, the presentation also lays the groundwork for a larger exhibition scheduled to take place at the V&A in London in 2024.”

https://www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/2023/applied-arts-pavilion

V&A Museum

https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/la-biennale-di-venezia-2023

AA

https://www.aaschool.ac.uk/news/aa-dip2-tutors-nana-biamah-ofosu-and-bushra-mohamed-curate-tropical-modernism-exhibition-at-the-venice-architecture-biennale-2023

Dwell

https://www.dwell.com/article/2023-venice-architecture-biennale-african-housing-designs-d93d743b

“Venice exhibition restores African architects to the story of Tropical Modernism”, Financial Times:

https://www.ft.com/content/5b5c1d86-6a53-4c42-9d15-d602231c0b1e

“This year’s Venice Architecture Biennale is brave, baffling, stimulating and essential”, Financial Times, https://www.ft.com/content/07014793-4753-40c5-8369-29db16295d75

Architects’ Journal, https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/pick-of-the-pavilions-at-2023s-venice-biennale

Wallpaper*

https://www.wallpaper.com/architectture/v-and-a-s-tropical-modernism-venice-architecture-biennale-2023-italy