African Twilight: Vanishing Rituals & Ceremonies

AFRICAN TWILIGHT is a celebration of the beautiful artistry and boundless creativity of Africa’s cultural heritage for audiences worldwide, transporting viewers into a world of connections between individual and community, body and soul, land and people.

The exhibition photographs, covering the last 15 years of work in 45 African countries, bring the vibrancy, intimacy, personal connection and meaningful understanding for which the Beckwith/Fisher collaboration is renowned. The images capture the vast cultural diversity of the continent and span the human life cycle from birth to death, covering unique initiation ceremonies into adulthood, colourful rituals of courtship and marriage, the splendour of power and leadership in Royal Kingdoms, seasonal rites of survival, diverse religious beliefs, healing practices and, finally, extraordinary rituals of death and the fascinating role of the afterworld. Drawn from their continuing work documenting African ceremonies, AFRICAN TWILIGHT presents a phase II, following their landmark exhibition “Passages” premiered in 2000 by the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

The exhibition will consist of 85 color photographs and 10 short video films which can be shown on monitors, or on a single screen. We invite each museum to present art objects from their collection to enhance the experience of Africa as a living tradition. We encourage museum programming that will inspire the audience to view the exhibition both as a source of learning and as a vital creative inspiration for young people today.

PREVIEW of AFRICAN TWILIGHT VIDEO FOOTAGE

“Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher are not only truly remarkable photographers, but their dedication to preserving for all time the dazzling diversity of African Ceremonies is unparalleled. Their celebration of African cultures will forever serve as the most compelling and passionate portrayal of the splendour of human creativity from the very continent that gave rise to all humanity.”
—Dr. Donald Johanson, Director / Founder, Institute of Human Origins