The Soloviev Foundation Gallery Presents African and Afrodiasporic Artworks in Honor of Black History Month

Exhibition features historical sculptures from continental Africa and remarkable portraits by Harlem Renaissance photographer James Van Der Zee

NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Soloviev Foundation Gallery is pleased to announce a presentation of African and Afrodiasporic artworks drawn from its collection. Located on the ground floor of the Soloviev Group’s iconic tower at 9 West 57th Street, the gallery will feature significant works of sculpture from the Ashanti, Cameroonian, Chokwe, Ekoi, Fang, Kongo, Luba, Sapi, and Yoruba peoples of continental Africa, alongside a selection of photographs by the renowned photographer James Van Der Zee. The works will be on view for the duration of February in recognition of Black History Month.

“The Soloviev Foundation Gallery is honored to present a year-round series of exhibitions that highlight the extraordinary artistry of Afrodiasporic and African cultures. Through these projects, we perceive how art has served as a profound means of expression and resilience across generations, encouraging a dynamic dialogue between historical and contemporary cultural practices,” said Stefan Soloviev, principal of The Soloviev Foundation and chairman of the Soloviev Group.

Oriented around the concept of portraiture, the focused selection emphasizes the diverse roles of traditional African sculpture in rituals and ceremonies, expressions of authority, and cycles of birth and death. Virtuosic transformations of materials like wood, beads and ivory testify to the integration of creative expression with political and spiritual life — syntheses of form and function often historically obscured. Addressing the intertwined yet distinct legacies of European colonialism and New World slavery, the objects featured in the exhibition not only reflect these histories but also transcend and reshape them.

In a stunning series of individual and group portraits, the gallery also showcases the American photographer James Van Der Zee. Van Der Zee rose to prominence as an astute observer of the everyday lives of Harlemites in the early 20th century. His studio practice blurred distinctions between vernacular and fine art photography and testified to the power of the photograph as a tool for reasserting Black identity and cultural pride during the harsh realities of Jim Crow.

The highlighted works are part of the gallery’s current display, something you cannot hold, which brings together objects from the collection with photographic works by four contemporary artists. something you cannot hold follows the gallery’s yearlong inaugural collection highlights exhibition, which commenced The Soloviev Foundation’s Emerging Curators Series, an initiative that provides curatorial and educational opportunities for early-career art historians.

The works featured in February also serve as a preview for the foundation’s upcoming exhibition, Between Distance and Desire: African Diasporic Perspectives, opening on May 1. Curated by Tumelo Mosaka, the exhibition explores the circulation of African masks in Western culture, exploring how these objects have been interpreted and recontextualized by both African and Western artistic practices. It also delves into the discourses and institutional frameworks that both preserve and confine African art in museums and other collecting spaces. Including new and recent works by contemporary African diasporic artists, Between Distance and Desire brings a fresh perspective to the question of how these histories of capture and extraction can be reexamined and reworked.

The Soloviev Foundation is pleased to share its collection with the public through guided tours and open viewing hours. Guests are encouraged to visit the gallery’s website to reserve a time. Both something you cannot hold and the February selection will be on view until March 2. The gallery will then be closed between March 3 and April 30 for the installation of Between Distance and Desire.

ABOUT THE SOLOVIEV FOUNDATION
The Soloviev Foundation is the charitable giving arm of the Soloviev Group, dedicated to supporting the efforts of those working across humanitarian, environmental and educational causes. The Foundation’s gifts go to both large, long-established institutions addressing global crises and concerns, and smaller, hyperlocal organizations serving the populations in need within their communities. For more information, visit solovievfoundation.org.

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SOURCE The Soloviev Group