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Africa - Soviet Union relationship revisited at Red Africa exhibition

Africa - Soviet Union relationship revisited at Red Africa exhibition

United Kingdom

An exhibition to highlight the heritage of cultural relations between Africa and the Soviet Union during the cold war has kicked off in London.

Stalintintin in #Africa ;-) | #USSR #soviet #propaganda #red #art #race #exhibition | https://t.co/OcpuuqgGrE pic.twitter.com/ypJQUfL1Ti

— greenami & da silva (@greenami1) February 5, 2016

Organised by the Calvert foundation, the event has brought together film makers, artists, photographers and writers working on the history of relations between Africa and the Soviet Union.

“These are statutes in the socialist realist style. Women, men and children have raised their fists to the sky. They look like statutes typical of totalitarian countries of African socialists,” Ekow Eshun, Calvert’s artistic director said.

The exhibition surveys the contemporary traces of communism in the culture of several former communist countries in Africa. > Checking out the #Red Africa exhibition Calvert22 this morning pic.twitter.com/0XTzEvxDR4

— anonomia (anonomia) February 4, 2016

The relationship was stronger during the second half of the twentieth century as post-colonial power struggles drew support from the East and the West.

According to organisers of the event, African countries like Mozambique and Angola had received aid from the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Cuba and East Germany.

“Most people would not think that Africa and communism would go together. But in 1960/61 there were like 16 African countries that became independent after violent wars like in Algeria and like Nigeria where it was negotiated. And that provided the window for the Soviet Union to get involved in promoting their notions of socialism, democracy and so on as compared to that of the west,” Dr Mark Nash, one of the exhibitors said.

The exhibition takes its name from the famous novel “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe and published in 1958. It is seen by many as a book which reflects the devastating impact of colonialism in Africa.

'Red #Africa' an exhibition about African countries & the Soviet Union on at Calvert_22 - https://t.co/fmHu3oEz9e pic.twitter.com/7Js1dBiHZ6

— Louis A (Louis_Allday) January 24, 2016

The exhibition will continue until April 3.

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