Senegalese curator Ousseynou Wade discusses the making of ‘More than Meets the Eye’, a landmark exhibition of the CBH Bank Collection at the Musée Rath in Geneva, tracing the breadth of African modernism and contemporary expression.
Installation view of ‘More than Meets the Eye’, selections from CBH Bank Collection, at Musée Rath selections from CBH Bank Collection. © Dylan Perrenoud
‘More than Meets the Eye’ presents, for the first time, a significant selection from the CBH Bank Collection of modern and contemporary art from Africa. On view at the Musée Rath in Geneva until 23 November 2025, the exhibition spans nearly a century of artistic innovation, from early figures such as Albert and Antoinette Lubaki and Djilatendo to leading contemporary voices including Amoako Boafo, El Anatsui, and Zanele Muholi. Co-curated by Ousseynou Wade, former Secretary General of the Dakar Biennale, and Jean-Yves Marin, former Director of the Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève (MAH), the exhibition moves beyond colonial-era frameworks to reveal the plurality of African creativity. Structured around seven thematic chapters, it explores emergence, spirituality, intimacy, and affirmation, inviting viewers to encounter Africa not as a single geography but as a constellation of perspectives, histories, and forms.
Ayanfe Olarinde, Aeroplani o’dabo I (the contentment song), 2023. Ink, Acrylic, Oil pastel and Coffee on Canvas, 36 x 48cm. Courtesy of the artist.
ART AFRICA: What was your primary curatorial vision for ‘More than Meets the Eye’, and how did you decide which narratives and voices from the CBH Collection to highlight in this first public presentation?
Ousseynou Wade: I must admit that it was not easy to immediately develop a curatorial project before getting to know the CBH Bank art collection in depth. While many banking institutions today hold significant collections of modern and contemporary art, few demonstrate such a clear commitment to African artistic creation. The time period covered by the collection also had to be considered in defining the project.
Thus, the vision was shaped by the analysis of three key components:
- A banking institution committed to shining a light on African artists, in a country whose historical relationship with the continent differs from that of certain Western nations.
- The period covered by the collection—nearly a century—allows for a retracing of African art history and its international presence since 1929.
- The diversity of realities, sources of inspiration, and techniques that testify to a plural Africa—geographically, historically, and culturally —is remarkable.
You’ve spoken about wanting to break away from colonial-era frameworks that traditionally segmented African art by geography. How did this decision influence your selection of works and the overall narrative visitors encounter?
The common conception of Africa deserves reconsideration for several reasons. Viewing Africa as a single geographical or cultural entity reflects a reductive perception of a plural reality. It was therefore essential, starting from an existing collection—remarkable in its quality —that of CBH Bank—to avoid reproducing fragmented and imposed representations of Africa. Instead, the aim was to reestablish shared realities and highlight the internal dynamics within each social component of the continent.
Installation view of ‘More than Meets the Eye’, selections from CBH Bank Collection, at Musée Rath selections from CBH Bank Collection. © Dylan Perrenoud
Instead of organising chronologically or geographically, the exhibition unfolds across seven thematic chapters. Why was a thematic approach critical here, and how does it help audiences connect more deeply with the works?
It was essential to make the exhibition easier to grasp by organising it into chapters, without resorting to a chronological or geographical structure. This approach was facilitated by the themes explored by the artists, which revealed convergences worth considering.
Through these convergences—local realities, a sense of belonging, beliefs, presence in a globalised world, and the creation of shared human values—the exhibition invites visitors to see Africa, and African art, from a renewed perspective.
Seydou Keïta, Sans titre (trois femmes de face).
From early innovators like Albert and Antoinette Lubaki to contemporary voices such as Amoako Boafo and Zanele Muholi, the exhibition spans nearly a century. How do you see the historical roots of African modernism resonating in today’s artistic practices?
African modernism emerged from a dialogue between tradition and transformation, as artists like Albert and Antoinette Lubaki translated local cosmologies and lived experiences into new visual languages.
Today, we see those same impulses—experimentation, self-definition, and engagement with global discourses—continuing to shape contemporary practices. Artists such as Amoako Boafo and Zanele Muholi expand this legacy by addressing issues of identity, representation, and belonging through new materials and technologies. Yet, their work remains deeply anchored in the social and cultural realities of the continent.
Zanele Muholi, Ziphi II Emhlabeni, 2019. Print on Hahnemuhle photorag baryta paper. Edition 3/8, 60 x 52cm. © Zanele Muholi – Courtesy of Galerie Carole Kvasnevski & Zanele Muholi.
As co-curators with distinct backgrounds—one rooted in African art institutions, the other in European museum practice—how did your perspectives complement one another in shaping this exhibition?
Allow me to emphasise how valuable and enriching my collaboration with Mr Jean-Yves Marin has been. In my view, there are no rigid boundaries in this field, and Mr Marin possesses an awe-inspiring knowledge of African art. We brought our perspectives together on this shared ground, and on the essential points, our views aligned perfectly.
African art remains underrepresented in Swiss and European museum spaces. What responsibilities did you feel in bringing these works to a Geneva audience for the first time, and how do you hope this shifts perceptions?
I am not best placed to assess the representation of African art in Swiss museums, as I am not very familiar with Swiss institutions. However, this presence can be observed in Geneva through galleries dedicated to promoting contemporary African art, the Geneva Museum of Ethnography’s major exhibition ‘AFROSONICA’ on African music, the recent Africa Basel fair last June, the 2024 exhibition ‘When We See Us’, and the recent opening of Galerie 38 in Geneva, to name just a few examples. There is also a presence within private foundations and collections.
Therefore, even if underrepresentation persists, one can reasonably say that African art has a growing and meaningful presence in Switzerland—and CBH Bank’s exhibition ‘More than Meets the Eye’ contributes to further strengthening that visibility.
Thandiwe Muriu, Camo 27, 2021. Jet Ink Print of FineArt RAG+ Matt 310g mounted on aluminium dibond in black pre-made float frame. Courtesy of the artist.
Beyond its five-week run, what do you hope ‘More than Meets the Eye’ contributes to the ongoing global conversation about African art and its rightful place in the canon of modern and contemporary art?
I hope ‘More than Meets the Eye’ helps broaden perspectives on modern and contemporary African art by showing its depth, diversity, and continuity over time. African artists are active contributors to global modernity, not outsiders to it. If the exhibition sparks curiosity, dialogue, and a more balanced appreciation of Africa’s place in the shared history of art, then it will have achieved its purpose.
‘More than Meets the Eye’ is on view at the Musée Rath, Geneva, until 23 November 2025. For more information, visit www.mahmah.ch.
