Contribution of Fine Art for African Solidarity: - Comparative Research of Ethiopia and Ghana
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Date
2020-11
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Officially Africa gained political independence, however colonial practices were perpetuated indirectly. This study aims at observing how art, specifically fine art, contributed towards promoting African solidarity by comparing Ethiopia and Ghana. Its general objective is to understand the impact of Ethiopian and Ghanaian fine art fused with politics on the movement for African solidarity. It also aims at identifying the similarities and differences concerning the efforts made by the Fine Arts communities in both countries for the restoration of African Solidarity and working towards African Iintegration in the 21st century. For this purpose, it employed a qualitative method of comparative analysis. Accordingly, in depth interview, observation, and reference to Archives are widely employed. The theoretical lens of Afrofuturism 2.0 that fosters artistic practices of navigating the past, present, and future simultaneously have been used. Melding Afrofuturism with a post- positivist worldview and deconstructive approach to communicate various reality into a communal and topical reality to deconstruct the biasedly created unsolidified existing reality. Generally, the ensuing results showed that, similarities tend to be greater than differences. There is a huge potential in both countries to contribute to African unity, solidarity, and future restoration of identity. African Art needs to restore the 1960’s practices of reconstructing African solidarity. Authoritarian regimes of post-independent Africa and the role of foreign illegal interference since the late 60’s in the African cultural, economic and political landscape created an unstable Africa, which by extension negatively affected the role of Art in both countries. The ongoing situation also indicates that Africa might learn from the experience of Japan & China, in protecting their heritage from Western influence. It finally concludes that continent wide Intelligence and political agencies might recognize and encourage the role that they have in consolidating a common front with art to counteract the on-going impact of post-colonial trajectories.
Key Words: African Solidarity, Fine Art, Politics, Ghana, Ethiopia
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Keywords
African Solidarity, Fine Art, Politics, Ghana, Ethiopia