YAA Projects was invited to propose a spatial design for an exhibition exploring Pan-African art and culture at the Barbican Gallery. Our proposal begins with a sequence of brise-soleil walls that form an articulated threshold at the entrance, aligning with the gallery’s existing architecture and directing visitors through the exhibition. In the lower galleries, six large murals from the 1930s are embedded within built-in walls, creating unity between the artwork and the space. The play between the artworks and the spatial design underscores the multiple temporalities in which Pan-Africanism is rooted.
In the lower galleries, our proposal celebrates momentous events in Pan-African history by referencing events such as FESTAC ’77. Seminal textile works are elevated and displayed as flags, emphasising their potency as monumental symbols of Pan-African identity. An ensemble of sculpted busts rests on individual plinths connected by a shared low base, encouraging viewers to understand the pieces as interrelated. Contrasting the main gallery's openness, a distinctly coloured, intimately scaled room is carved out for printed ephemera and audiovisual installations. Evoking the intimate bookshops, record stores, and front rooms where Pan-African ideals were also forged, this room features framed openings that maintain strong sightlines to the wider exhibition while encouraging deep reflection.
Ascending to the upper level’s eight flexible exhibition spaces, visitors re-encounter the ground-floor artworks from fresh vantage points. Central voids allow guests to look down upon the large-scale murals and engage the suspended flags at eye level, sparking a visual dialogue with works displayed on the upper level.
The exhibition design emphasises long views and layered compositions, encouraging visitors to move fluidly across geographies, histories, and generations, and supporting a multidimensional experience that echoes the complexity and richness of Pan-Africanism.
Invited Competition Entry for Exhibition Design at the Barbican (Finalist)