Artist Spotlight – John Akomfrah

By Emma Andrews

John Akomfrah, a British-Ghanaian artist, is well known for searing video installations that examine issues ranging from climate change to colonialism. Recently, he was announced to represent Great Britain at the 60th edition of the International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2024.

Aged 65, Akomfrah, who was recently presented with a knighthood in the 2023 UK Honours list, is known for his art films and multi-screen video installations, which explore major issues including racial injustice, colonial legacies, diasporic identities, migration and climate change.

The London-based artist initially came to prominence in the early 1980s as part of the Black Audio Film Collective (BAFC), a group of seven artists founded in 1982. The BAFC’s first film was Handsworth Songs (1986) which explored the events around the 1985 riots in Birmingham and London. In recent years, his multichannel video works have evolved into ambitious, multi-screen installations shown in galleries and museums worldwide. In 2017, he won the Artes Mundi prize, the UK’s biggest award for international art. He has previously participated in La Biennale di Venezia with his piece Four Nocturnes, commissioned for the inaugural Ghana Pavilion in 2019 which reflected on the complex, intertwined relationship between humanity’s destruction of the natural world and destruction of the self.

On accepting the British Council commission, John Akomfrah said:

‘It is a huge privilege and an honour to be asked to represent the UK at the 60th Venice Biennale – it is without a doubt one of the most exciting opportunities that an artist can be presented with. I see this invitation as recognition of, and a platform for all those I have collaborated with over the decades, and who continue to make my work possible. I’m grateful to be given a moment to explore the complex history and significance of this institution and the nation it represents, as well as its architectural home in Venice – with all the stories it has told and will continue to.’

Some of Akomfrah’s other work includes installations such as ‘The Unfinished Conversation‘ (2012), a portrait of the cultural theorist Stuart Hall’s life and work; ‘Mnemosyne‘ (2010), which exposed the economic hardships and casual racism faced by migrants in the UK; ‘Vertigo Sea‘ (2015), a three-screen installation that focused on the disorder and cruelty of the whaling industry and juxtaposed it with scenes of generations of migrants making epic ocean crossings in search of a better life; and ‘Purple‘ (2017), his largest film installation to date, which addressed the climate crisis.

The British Council has been responsible for the British pavilion at the Venice Biennale since 1937. Artists including recent Golden Lion winner Sonia Boyce, Tracey Emin, Phyllida Barlow and Steve McQueen have all represented the UK in the past.

Skinder Hundal, global director of arts at the British Council and commissioner of the British pavilion, said: “With a career spanning four decades, the judges felt that Akomfrah had made a very significant contribution to the UK and international contemporary art scene. John’s inspiring style and narrative has continuously evolved, revealing key ideas and questions about the world we inhabit.”

While few details are known yet about Akomfrah’s pavilion, his will be one of the most anticipated national exhibitions at the 2024 Venice Biennale. The 60th edition of the Venice Biennale will run from 20th April 2024 to 24th November 2024. If you can make the trip it is definitely worth it.

“The quality and contextual depth of his artistry never fails to inspire deep reflection and awe. For the British Council to have such a significant British-Ghanaian artist in Venice is an exhilarating moment.”