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Nii O. Quarcoopome, Ph.D.
Co-Chief Curator and Curator of African Art, Detroit Institute of Arts 

Within the last century, works of incredible craftsmanship attributed to African artists have captivated Western collectors and museums. While African art has become increasingly desirable and mainstream, its display in the museum context remains problematic because of a lack of understanding of indigenous Africans’ notions of art and aesthetics, which challenges Western-style connoisseurship. This illustrated lecture reflects on the complexities in African art’s creation and use, to its ultimate commodification in the West.