An African Journey: On Cultural Heritage and the Popularity of Primitivism (original) (raw)

The paper explores the complex relationship between cultural heritage and the phenomenon of primitivism, particularly in the context of African art and exhibitions like Africa! Africa!. It argues that such heritage spectacles often serve as antidotes to the experience of 'non-places,' providing cultural density and historical presence amidst late modernity's alienation. The popularity of primitivism is analyzed through various theoretical lenses, including Jean Loup Amselle's discussion of African art's dual appeal to the Western public as a source of vitality or as a representation of decline.