Bruno Claessens, Michel Vandenkerckhove , Didier Claes, Hughes Dubois (photography)
Reference : 62133
, Mercatorfonds, 2023 HB, 310 x 280 mm, 352 pages, 300 illustraties, ENG edition, ISBN 9789462303317.
Although considered the cradle of mankind, the most recent history of the African continent has long been shrouded in mystery. Without leaving any written records, many civilizations rose and disappeared again, only leaving majestic works of art as witnesses of their greatness. Most of these forgotten cultures were only rediscovered throughout the 20th century, often by accident, and scholarship has been struggling to put the puzzle pieces of the last millennia of the African continent back together. Bruno Claessens (1983) is a passionate art expert with 15 years of ample experience in the African art market. From 2010 until 2012, he was the archivist of the Yale University-van Rijn Archive of African Art, before starting as an independent expert in African art, advisor and curator. Claessens has published three books on African art (Ere Ibeji (2013), Baule Monkeys (2016), Unû - Prestigious African Weapons (2021)) and runs a popular blog on the subject since 2013. Claessens was the European director of the African art department at Christie's for 5 years. In 2021 he founded Duende Art Projects, an innovative gallery concept, wishing to strengthen Africa's visibility and significance within the art world through curated exhibitions on unique locations.