Photo by Aida Muluneh
By Cherrelle Rand
An elevated work platform sits in front of the small shop of the SCAD Museum of Art. Signs with the words “Installation in Process” are taped on the main doors. Inside, exhibition representatives begin the installation of “The Divine Comedy: Heaven, Purgatory and Hell Revisited by Contemporary African Artists.”
The installation for “The Divine Comedy” will go on for nine days, with the grand opening of the galleries on Oct. 16. The exhibition explores the thematic sequences of Dante Alighieri’s famous poem “Divine Comedy.” The poem describes Dante’s journey through hell, purgatory and heaven. The poem is usually known for it’s first par, titled the “Inferno,” occasionally called “Dante’s Inferno.”
Rachel Evans, the coordinator of visitation and outreach for the museum, wrote in an email that “the exhibition will feature works by more than 40 contemporary artists from 19 African countries as well as the African diaspora. Among the artists is South African artist Jane Alexander whose ‘Surveys (from the Cape of Good Hope)’ exhibition was featured at the SCAD museum two years ago.”
The exhibition will include different mediums ranging from photography to sound installations.
“‘The Divine Comedy’” encompasses the entire museum space and Pei Ling Chan gallery,” said Evans. “Usually we have several different exhibitions displayed at the same time. Visitors will experience one epic exhibition with a centralized theme, Dante Alighieri’s ‘The Divine Comedy.'”
On Oct. 16 the curator Simon Njami will moderate a panel featuring artists Bill Bidjocka, Ingrid Mwangi, Moataz Nasr and Joël Adrianomearisoa, followed by an exhibition reception. Both the panel and exhibition are free to the public. “The Divine Comedy” exhibition will be open for viewing from Oct. 17 to Jan. 25.
