An aluminum basin is one of hundreds of modern-day artifacts in this 12x18 foot wall-mounted sculpture created by Philadelphia-born artist Muhsana Ali and Senegalese artist Amadou Kane Sy in 2019, and displayed in the Africa Gallery at The Penn Museum. As a commentary that the gallery's objects were never intended to be in a museum, the artists used a "poetic archeology" approach to incorporate everyday objects found in Senegal – such as tea kettles, animal bones, insect repellent cans – labeling each with a number similar to museum collection cataloging systems. The totality of the work is an "abstract map that highlights the movement of African objects from their place of birth into the Diaspora."

Penn Museum
Philadelphia, PA

02.28.21