diary
The exhibition "New Generation" of African Art Beats takes place until January by appointment. More information on the site.
Anne-Beatrix Keller Semadeni opens the front door of a huge white house wide. Located in the opulent neighborhood of Cleveland Park, in Washington, this historic listed residence surely had several lives before becoming the African Art Beats gallery since June 2019.
Entirely dedicated to contemporary African art, African Art Beats presents nearly forty works by eight artists from Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Togo. If the house with huge windows is the ideal place to host an art gallery, it is also here that Anne-Beatrix Keller decided to live. “It’s wonderful to wake up every morning amidst all these works”, rejoices this passionate about art. However, the artistic career was not his first choice.
A former translator for the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and other international organizations, Anne-Beatrix Keller Semadeni settled in the American capital in 1993 with her husband and children. "I only did translation until 2001", says the artistic agent who was born in Tunisia. "I am a Frenchwoman from abroad and Swiss, but I have always lived elsewhere", explains Anne-Beatrix who is characterized as “A citizen of the world”.
Despite studies in translation, the gallery owner has always felt close to the artistic world. “Art has always been part of my life”, she says, remembering: “My grandfather was an amateur and bought paintings, my father collected Romanities and my parents loved beautiful things”. As a teenager, Anne-Beatrix was passionate about the Tunisian artist Jellal Ben Abdallah and the Impressionists.
Trips to Africa and discovery of tribal art
Between 2001 and 2004, the family was transferred to Cameroon and Anne-Beatrix traveled to sub-Saharan Africa. "Over there, I discovered tribal art that I didn't know well", she remembers. One day, she buys a work and begins to take a close interest in African art. Then, between 2012 and 2015, the former translator settled in Togo and got to know many local artists thanks to the European Union and the French Institute, which regularly organize exhibitions of Togolese artists. “When I got back to Washington, I had the idea of creating an online gallery dedicated to contemporary African art. Meanwhile, African art had become very popular, especially in Europe. ” African Art Beats was born.
“I want to share their work which I find extraordinary. I also want to break down the barriers. just because it’s African doesn’t sound like African art. They are above all artists and art is universal ”, insists Anne-Beatrix Keller Semadeni, who has already presented the artists at several exhibitions. The gallery owner plans to showcase the artists' works for a long time, since she plans to hold several exhibitions in 2020. The next step: “Exposing women, because many are still little known”, promises Anne-Beatrix. More information on African Art Beats here.
diary
The exhibition "New Generation" of African Art Beats takes place until January by appointment. More information on the site.
