Painted posters for street cinemas in Ghana and Senegal are the subject of this exhibition, presenting an aspect of contemporary non-professional art previously unknown in central Europe. The project is a collateral event held as part of the Brno Biennial 2010.
After that of Hollywood and India, film production from Ghana is
the third most prolific in terms of output. The films are made for
local audiences and plots centre upon the struggle between good and
evil, chiefly reflecting familiar subjects from African mythology.
Open-air street cinemas take the place of projection halls and
their promotion activities are rooted in the much the same "basic"
approach as the subject matter of the films. The promotion takes
the form of the irregular appearance of posters created for each
occasion by local non-professional artists. Paintings are done on
the reverse of empty sugar- and flour-sacks, with the content
blending elements of vernacular magic with Hollywood inspiration.
These artworks (also providing sources for contemporary official
art) may be classified as naive art. The poster series is part of
an African art collection made by Dr. Wolfgang Stäbler from Munich,
and is showcased in the Czech Republic for the first time. The
project is part of the International Biennial of Graphic Design
Brno 2010 organised by the Moravian Gallery, Brno.
Ethnographic Institute of the Moravian Museum, Brno, Kobližná
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