The Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (CAAC) presents the exhibition ‘Améfrica. Diasporic Connections in the Jorge M. Perez Collection’, curated by Helio Menezes. The show brings together 128 works by 99 artists from the Jorge M. Perez Collection, as well as from El Espacio 23, its contemporary art center in Miami.

The exhibition takes as its starting point the concept of ‘amefricanity’ formulated by the Afro-Brazilian intellectual Lélia González, who elaborated this concept based on her exploration “of the African foundations in the aesthetic and sociocultural formation of the Americas,” says the curator.

The recovery of Gonzalez's work, as one of the critical voices of Afro-Brazilian thought, makes it possible to offer, from a relational, political and aesthetic cartography, a renewed reading of the imprint of “the African” in the very constitution of the Americas. “By incorporating the ‘f’ of Africa, Lélia González proposed more than a neologism,” Menezes emphasizes.

Based on the concept that gives the exhibition its name, ‘Améfrica’, the exhibition creates a dialogue between artists of different generations, geographies and techniques, who generate interconnection networks by recreating the historical, visual, symbolic and intellectual influences of the African continent on the American continent.

The general director of Innovation and Cultural Promotion, Pía Halcón, has pointed out that institutions like the Tate Modern, the Pompidou Center, the MACBA or the upcoming Venice Biennial are currently paying attention to African and Afro-descendant practices. In this CAAC proposal, such interest is materialized through a dialogue with artists like El Anatsui, Kara Walker, Faith Ringgold, Wifredo Lam, Igshaan Adams, Nick Cave, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Senzeni Marasela or Buhlebezwe Siwani.

In total, 128 works of painting, sculpture, photography, installation and textiles are presented, created by artists born in more than thirty countries in Africa, America, Australia and Europe. The exhibition reflects the global dimension of the African diaspora and its impact on contemporary American culture.

Among the artists represented are Kara Walker, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Wifredo Lam, Rubem Valentim, Igshaan Adams, Zanele Muholi, El Anatsui and Esther Mahlangu, the oldest artist in the project at 91 years of age.

The exhibition also establishes a dialogue between pioneers such as Rubem Valentim, Bertina Lopes and Esther Mahlangu, and artists of later generations such as Nnena Okore, Ayan Farah or Kapwani Kiwanga, who share similar references in different historical moments.

Jorge M. Perez states that he is interested in supporting works that broaden the understanding of history and question simplified narratives. He points out that the influence of the African diaspora crosses continents and generations and has been instrumental in shaping global contemporary art. He adds that ‘Améfrica’ highlights that cultural origins are intertwined and that no artistic expression or society emerges in isolation.

The selection presented at the CAAC brings together works by artists born in more than thirty countries in Africa, America, Europe and Australia, reflecting the global dimension of the African diaspora and the diversity of artistic languages in which it manifests itself.

The Jorge M. Pérez Collection and Space 23

The Jorge M. Pérez Collection is a Miami-based private collection dedicated primarily to contemporary art, with important holdings of African and African Diaspora art, Latin American art, and works from the United States and certain European contexts.

Over the years, the collection has maintained collaborations with international institutions through loans, curatorial projects and traveling exhibitions with entities such as the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the Tate or the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM).

The collection is activated through El Espacio 23, a non-profit institution founded by Jorge M. Pérez and Darlene Pérez. Located in a rehabilitated former industrial building of approximately 2,600 square meters in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami, the space offers free admission and develops a program of exhibitions, residencies, educational initiatives and special projects in dialogue with international art communities and institutions.