Staff of Umoja Art Gallery Denied Visas Before Africa Basel
The event occurred a week before the opening of the Africa Basel art fair on June 17
Courtesy Umoja Art Gallery, Kampala
Staff from Umoja Art Gallery, in Kampala, Uganda, were denied Swiss entry visas the week before the opening of the Africa Basel art fair on June 17 – as reported by Alexander Morrison for The Art Newspaper.
A sign on the gallery’s empty booth at the fair reads: “An empty booth stands as a reminder that despite the ambition of a global art ecosystem, physical borders and administrative barriers still determine whose voices can be present.”
Africa Basel was launched last year to coincide with Art Basel’s flagship event in Switzerland. This year, it encompasses 19 international galleries promoting work by African and African diaspora artists.
Related content
News
Unesco Reviewing Controversial ‘Black Cube’ Project in Florence
The Neo-Classical building, whose nearly 30m high, dark-coloured modern addition was designed by Vittorio Grassi architects, has consistently been the subject of controversy
Singapore Gallery Month 2026 Announces Full Programme
The annual festival will take place from 15 August to 13 September 2026 and includes more than 100 exhibitions and events
Court Sentences British Man Over Forgeries Submitted to Sotheby's
Andrew Crowley admitted fraud after presenting fabricated documentation to support the sale of four purported antiquities through the London auction house
Bayeux Tapestry Crosses Channel for First Time Since the 11th Century
The state-owned French embroidery has arrived at the British Museum in London ahead of a year-long exhibition that has already generated record advance ticket sales.
Hauser & Wirth Cleared in UK Russia Sanctions Case
Southwark Crown Court dismissed charges against the gallery's UK subsidiary and art shipper Artay Rauchwerger Solomons after finding insufficient evidence that a collector was connected to Russia under the relevant sanctions rules
Artist Accuses Work at Manifesta 16 of Plagiarism
Dorothee Bielfeld has asked the Manifesta 16 biennial to remove an installation by Nasan Tur titled Elevation (2026), alleging that the artwork plagiarises her earlier work
Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2026 Announcement
The third edition will take place from 14 November 2026 to 14 April 2027 and is titled Architecture Otherwise: Building Civic Infrastructure for Collective Futures
Bae Young-whan, Artist Inspired by K-Pop and Conceptualism, 1969–2026
The Korean artist, who prioritised quotidian lived experience through his work, has died
Skulptur Projekte Münster 2027 Artist Announcement
The fifth edition is directed by Ivet Ćurlin, Nataša Ilić and Sabina Sabolović and will take place from 13 June to 3 October 2027
Bangkok Art Biennale 2026 Announces Participating Artists
The Biennale will take place from 29 October 2026 to 28 February 2027
Helen Cammock Withdraws Work from National Portrait Gallery, London
The piece’s withdrawal follows controversy surrounding its statement that Winston Churchill had intentionally starved the Indian population during the 1943 Bengal famine
.jpg%3F2026-06-24T14%3A32%3A11.838Z&w=3840&q=100)
Misan Harriman Steps Down as Southbank Centre Chair
Hariman’s decision follows a period of scrutiny and criticism over his social media activity
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
Intel on the art market. Straight to your inbox.
