Artist with African Inspiration: Salle de Francophonie

2004

Dutch, born Benin 1961

Meschac Gaba’s smile appears on the West African 1000 franc note, along with an image of one of his sculptures, a braided hair wig that hovers mysteriously on the left side. His provocative combinations remind us that the bills we handle every day are a lesson in symbols of the state, an icon usually not to be disturbed. Gaba’s monetary revisions also echo the currency fluctuations that are common in African economies.

Pigmented inkjet print

17 15/16 x 35 1/16 in. (45.5 x 89 cm)

Gift of Vascovitz Family

2012.22.2

Provenance: [Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa]; purchased from gallery by present owner

Photo: Elizabeth Mann

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistoryCape Town, South Africa, Michael Stevenson Gallery, Meshac Gaba: Tresses + Other Recent Projects, Aug. 16 - Sep.15, 2007 (Johannesburg, South Africa, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Nov. 6, 2007 - Jan. 31, 2008).

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, In This Imperfect Present Moment, July 21, 2018 - June 16, 2019.

Published ReferencesGaba, Meshac, et al. Tresses + Other Recent Projects, (Cape Town and Johannesburg: Michael Stevenson Gallery/Johannesburg Art Gallery, 2007), p. 21 (color).

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