René Tavares: The Atlantic is Black

The Atlantic is Black is an exploration of transatlantic migratory processes and their effects on the Diaspora. In cooperation with THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE (Angola/Portugal), ARTCO Gallery is excited to present the first solo exhibition of São Toméan artist René Tavares in Berlin. The show will be on view from September 11 through Nov 02.

Tavares’ practice is an homage to the Austral and Atlantic Africa, which was constantly developing in exchange with the Americas. Islands like São Tomé and Príncipe were used as logistical centers, test laboratories and production sites and thus became a marketplace for ideas and identities in the Black Atlantic. With this understanding, Tavares is inline with Paul Gilroy’s thesis that the cultural history of the African Diaspora is not simply African, American or European, but was created through the brutally enforced trade between these spaces across the Atlantic.

Through his diverse work, René Tavares is re-navigating these ancient routes and proposes narratives that reassess the historical significance of the African continent and its multifaceted cultural heritage. Far from Western epistemologies, Tavares layers experiences, emotions and associations in his creative process. A form of knowledge production that opens up an understanding of the contemporary exchanges within the Diasporic communities today.

artco-gallery.com