The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has reopened its renovated Arts of Africa galleries in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. The exhibition tour was led by curator Alisa LaGamma, assistant curator Jenny Peruski, director Max Hollein, and special guests Manthia Diawara and Angélique Kidjo. The reinstallation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the African subcontinent, shifting the narrative to focus on artworks within their original contexts and as masterpieces. It celebrates recognized masters from sculptor Ọlọ́wẹ̀ of Ìsẹ̀ to contemporary photographer Seydou Keïta, and places works such as Afro-Portuguese ivories and Kente cloth in visual dialogue with adjacent European galleries and contemporary pieces.
This reopening matters because it represents a significant institutional effort to reframe African art not as ethnographic artifact but as dynamic, interconnected artistic tradition. By positioning African masterworks in conversation with European and contemporary art, the Met challenges historical hierarchies and underscores the enduring influence of African artists. The renovation also signals a broader shift in major museums toward more inclusive, context-driven presentations that honor the authorship and originality of non-Western artists.