African And Latin American Art In Pangaea At Saatchi Gallery

Tabish Khan
By Tabish Khan Last edited 119 months ago
African And Latin American Art In Pangaea At Saatchi Gallery
Rafael Gómezbarros
Casa Tomada
2013
© Sam Drake, 2014
Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London
Rafael Gómezbarros Casa Tomada 2013 © Sam Drake, 2014 Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London
Ibrahim Mahama
Untitled
2013
© Sam Drake, 2014
Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London
Ibrahim Mahama Untitled 2013 © Sam Drake, 2014 Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London
Dillon Marsh
Assimilation 1
2010
© Dillon Marsh, 2010
Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London
Dillon Marsh Assimilation 1 2010 © Dillon Marsh, 2010 Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London
Aboudia
Djoly du Mogoba
2011
© Aboudia, 2011
Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London
Aboudia Djoly du Mogoba 2011 © Aboudia, 2011 Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London
Mário Macilau
Peace (The Zionist series)
2010
© Mário Macilau, 2010
Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London
Mário Macilau Peace (The Zionist series) 2010 © Mário Macilau, 2010 Image courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London

Recent shows at the Saatchi gallery have been met with mixed receptions, so the gallery has fallen back on a stalwart of the Saatchi stable and focussed on emerging artists from a specific region of the world — in this case Latin America and Africa. These two parts of the world were bound together as part of the super continent Pangaea many millions of years ago, hence the title of the exhibition. But this title serves more as a device to bring these two sets of artists together and the similarities between the two continents ends there.

The exhibition opens with a high impact installation by Rafael Gomezbarros in which a swarm of giant ants covers the walls. Many are amassed in one corner of the gallery as if that's where they are emerging from. It's a creepy sight and is also a representation of the number of Colombians who have been displaced due to armed conflict over the last 50 years.

The exhibition then follows a chequered path as we encounter many artists who feel derivative of European artists such as Picasso, Lichtenstein and Caulfield. However, Fredy Alzate's sphere of bricks does a great job of summing up sprawling urban development by displaying a structure that has collapsed in on itself into a ball.

Upstairs features some of the better artists in this exhibition with one excellent gallery containing Dillon Marsh's photography of the humanoid shapes of weaver bird nests, Mario Marcilau's intimate portraits and David Koloane's terrifying depiction of urban life, where yellow eyed dogs scavenge in the night.

Though this exhibition may not be a full return to form, it's a big improvement on the last few shows and is the gallery's strongest exhibition since 'Out of Focus' two years ago.

Pangaea is on at Saatchi Gallery, King's Road, SW3 4RY until 2 November. Admission is free. Also still on at Saatchi gallery are the emerging artists in New Order II.

Last Updated 04 April 2014