Condition Report: Symposium on Building Art Institutions in Africa is a collection of essays resulting from of the symposium held in Dakar in 2012. They address the changing role of art institutions and initiatives in Africa, where the cultural and artistic context is characterized by a predominance of government led art programs and infrastructure.

The last decade has witnessed the emergence of a variety of independent art spaces using a wide range of formats to promote art and critical exchange. These initiatives draw a new cartography of artistic action in Africa. This reader looks at the structural and programmatic issues at play within those institutions. Models and profiles of art institutions developed in other regions of the world are also examined. The publication also discusses how former colonial powers define and implement their strategies of cultural representation and exchange in post-colonial areas, and how these in turn influence local dynamics of cultural action.

Funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Goethe-Institut.

Multitalented artist Philip Aguirre sees his prints as completed products. His drawings, however, serve a very different purpose within his work. He views these drawings as the start of a thought process, forming a consistent thread throughout what is, for him, a vitally important method of creation. In that process, it is not unusual to see historic heritage as a source of his inspiration. Thus, his work engages with reoccurring themes such as the spring and water in the world, immigration and refugees, and the story of Africa threading throughout his oeuvre. This book focuses on the broad palette of disciplines that Aguirre practices, reflecting on these important reoccurring themes that have been present throughout his career, as well as the role played by printmaking in his work. It also highlights the selection of prints and drawings from the rich oeuvre that he has built up over the last 40 years, which he recently donated to the collection of modern prints and drawings for the Plantin Moretus Museum print cabinet. Distributed for Mercatorfonds Exhibition Schedule: Plantin Moretus Museum, Antwerp, Belgium. The Print Cabinet. 27 0ctober 2022 - February 2023.