Simon Njami

Simon Njami
Name	Simon Njami
Birth date	1962
Birth place	Geneva, Switzerland
Occupation	Curator, writer, lecturer, art critic
Nationality	Swiss of Cameroonian descent

Simon Njami

Simon Njami is a Swiss curator, writer, and lecturer known for his influence on contemporary African art through exhibitions, publications, and academic partnerships. He has curated major international shows, collaborated with museums, biennials, and foundations, and contributed essays and editorial projects that connect artists, institutions, and audiences across Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Njami’s work engages photographers, painters, sculptors, and multimedia artists in dialogues that involve museums, galleries, universities, and cultural festivals.

Early life and education

Born in Geneva, Njami grew up in a context that connected Swiss institutions and African diasporic networks including Cameroon, Paris, London, Brussels, Milan, Berlin, and Barcelona. He pursued studies that brought him into contact with archives and libraries such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the British Library, and the Bibliothèque universitaire systems while engaging with art histories represented in collections of the Musée du Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and the Museum of Modern Art. Early influences included encounters with figures associated with the Negritude movement, legacies of writers like Aimé Césaire, dialogues around postcolonial theory from scholars linked to King's College London, and exhibitions shaped in venues such as the Centre Pompidou and the Tate Modern.

Curatorial career

Njami’s curatorial trajectory has intersected with major institutions and events: he has collaborated with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, the Brooklyn Museum, the V&A, the Kunsthalle Wien, the Goethe-Institut, the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, and numerous national museums including the National Museum of African Art and the South African National Gallery. He directed initiatives related to the Venice Biennale, the Documenta network, and national pavilions at the Venice Biennale of Architecture and the Venice Biennale of Art. Njami curated projects in partnership with cultural ministries such as the French Ministry of Culture, the South African Department of Arts and Culture, and the Ministry of Culture (Morocco). His collaborations extended to curators and critics associated with Okwui Enwezor, Koyo Kouoh, Bisi Silva, and Marie-Laure Bernadac.

Writing and editorial work

As an essayist and editor, Njami has contributed to catalogues produced by the Tate Modern, the Centre Pompidou, the Stedelijk Museum, the Getty Research Institute, and the Smithsonian Institution. He has published texts alongside monographs on artists such as El Anatsui, Yinka Shonibare, Wangechi Mutu, Youssef Nabil, and Zanele Muholi and in journals like Artforum, Aperture, Third Text, African Arts, and Frieze. Njami founded editorial projects and magazines produced with teams linked to African Arts Trust, the Do East Publishing House, and collaborations involving the International Center of Photography and the African Studies Association. He has written prefaces and essays for catalogues associated with the Saatchi Gallery, the Hayward Gallery, the Ikon Gallery, and the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.

Exhibitions and projects

Njami curated key exhibitions across continents, partnering with institutions like the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the Musée National d'Art Moderne, the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, and the Museum voor Moderne Kunst Arnhem. He organized continent-spanning projects that included collaborations with the African Union Commission, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the European Cultural Foundation. Njami’s projects often featured artists associated with galleries such as Peres Projects, White Cube, Victoria Miro, Galerie Lelong, and Goodman Gallery. He curated thematic exhibitions connecting work from regions including West Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa, and the Caribbean, involving curatorial partners from the Africa Centre, the Institut du Monde Arabe, and the Royal Academy of Arts.

Teaching and mentorship

Njami has lectured and taught at universities and schools including University College London, the Sorbonne Nouvelle University Paris 3, the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Cape Town, the Rhodes University, the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, and the Bard College. He ran mentorship and residency programs in partnership with the Pigozzi Collection, the Open Society Foundations, the Prince Claus Fund, and the British Council. Njami has participated in juries for prizes such as the Prix Pictet, the Hasselblad Award, the Pritzker Prize advisory initiatives, and panels organized by the Prince Claus Fund and the Lumo Foundation.

Awards and recognition

Njami’s contributions have been recognized by awards and honors linked to institutions including the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, awards from the African Art Awards, nominations within the Arches International Curatorial Prize, and distinctions by the Ford Foundation and the Getty Foundation. He has received fellowships and grants from bodies such as the British Council, the Goethe-Institut, the Maison des Cultures du Monde, and the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.

Category:Curators Category:Writers