Africa Calling: The African Collection Revealed

The African continent brims with a multitude of cultures, each with its own social constructs, cosmology, mythology, and artistic styles. Today, the people of sub-Saharan Africa largely identify as Christian or Muslim, yet they have retained ancient animistic beliefs that manifest in rituals and ceremonies that remain integral to their social identity. Animism is the belief that all things in the universe are imbued with spirits that can be harnessed for the good of humanity and must be appeased through disciplined practices and offerings. Whether they take the form of a mask, a carved figure, a woven textile or a bone, the objects on display here are believed to possess a life force. Transcending mere art, these items are designed to alter or convey reality. In the absence of a written language, they speak through figurative images, colors, and shapes which tell a story, call on the ancestors to intervene, or teach accepted social norms and values to the community.

The Museum's collection of African ethnographic artifacts, which has remained hidden from public view for 30 years, includes approximately 1,000 pieces, donated by avid collectors and dedicated donors from around the world, who have intensely explored specific cultures and regions of Africa. These works were once exhibited at the Haifa Museum of Ethnology, founded in the early 1950s and active on Arlozorov Street until 1995. In unveiling these works again, "Africa Calling" calls on its viewers to immerse themselves in the diverse and vibrant cultures of Africa.

Dorit Shafir
Exhibition curator