More than Meets the Eye

The exhibition More than Meets the Eye unveils a part of the CBH collection of modern and contemporary art from Africa, spanning nearly a century of creativity, from 1929 to 2024. Featuring works by over 80 artists from 21 African countries, the exhibition includes early innovators such as Albert and Antoinette Lubaki and Djilatendo; internationally acclaimed artists such as Amoako Boafo, El Anatsui, Yinka Shonibare, Abdoulaye Konaté, JP Mika, and Omar Ba; as well as a vibrant new generation of dynamic women artists including Thandiwe Muriu, Cassi Namoda, Maku Azu, and Ayanfe Olarinde. Together they embody a bold, forward-looking vision of the continent's cultural expression.

Rooted in the 1920s along the banks of the Congo River, African art rapidly spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, giving rise to a constellation of distinct schools. From Lubumbashi to Abidjan, Dakar to Bamako, each reveals a modernity that is inventive, intricate, multifaceted, and vivid — singular stars within a dazzling artistic galaxy. Deeply grounded in their local environments, these movements assert their uniqueness within a global art narrative long shaped by other voices. Even today, they continue to strive for their rightful place on the world stage.

The exhibition unfolds across seven thematic chapters: emergence, spirituality, between two worlds, everyday life, intimacy, the timeless, and affirmation — inviting visitors on an evolving journey through aesthetic, cultural, and temporal questions.

An exhibition curated with an international lens 

More than Meets the Eye is co-curated by Jean-Yves Marin, former Director of the MAH and Artistic Adviser to CBH, and Ousseynou Wade, former Secretary General of the Dakar Biennale and a leading voice in African art. Together, they have shaped an exhibition that breaks free from colonial-era geographical constraints, spotlighting the continent's artistic exchanges across borders:

"African artists have long moved, influenced, and inspired one another across nations — far beyond administrative frontiers, arbitrary lines devoid of cultural meaning," explain the curators. "This show highlights the power of those transnational dialogues, weaving together history, memory, and creation."

A contemporary setting serving the artworks

The exhibition's scenography was entrusted to acclaimed architect and designer Pierre Yovanovitch, whose deep understanding of contemporary art environments helped shape a bold yet respectful setting for the works on view.

"The challenge — and the thrill — was to create a space that steps back just enough to let the art speak for itself," he says. "The result is an immersive, refined layout, where curves, color, and calm allow the artworks to resonate fully with their surroundings."

"With More than Meets the Eye the Musée Rath welcomes, for the first time, a broad panorama of African artistic creation. Curated and hosted by CBH, the exhibition unveils a private collection curated with dedication and conviction. This project perfectly reflects the mission of the MAH to broaden the conversation and showcase artistic voices still too rarely heard in institutional spaces," says Marc-Olivier Wahler, Director of the MAH.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a rich public program, including talks, panel discussions, and encounters with artists, curators, and gallerists — exploring the shifting landscape of contemporary art from Africa on a global scale.

A richly illustrated exhibition catalogue will also be available for purchase at the Musée Rath.

A broad cultural commitment

For over 15 years, CBH has pursued a committed cultural program, notably in partnership with the Musée d'art et d'histoire de Genève, emphasizing a long-term commitment to societal impact. Three main pillars shape this artistic commitment: a selection of modern Swiss artists; digital and algorithmic art; and finally, modern and contemporary art from Africa.

"This exhibition is both the culmination of a passionate endeavor spanning several years, and an invitation to discover the plurality of African artistic narratives, representing a century of creativity that remains too seldom seen in Switzerland," says Simon Benhamou, CEO of CBH. "What moves me in this art is its richness, its diversity — and above all, its spontaneity, which jolts us. It reveals a vibrant Africa, freed from clichés and resolutely forward-looking."

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