The role of performance art and transnationalism in African art Transnationalism and performance art are currently phenomena that have a great hold and influence on art in 'contemporary era. The notions of transnationalism and performance art play a fundamental role regarding both the content of the individual works produced and the logic behind why they were created. The concept of transnationalism used in the context of art conventionally refers to the phenomenon of how ideas/information, people and goods flow from one place to another. It is with this definition that one can observe how very different elements of distinct cultures can transform into the same work of art and have the ability to interact and exhibit fluidity. While, the notion of performance art is primarily associated with the view of an artist's body as a medium, which is significant because the actions that the artist performs are what is considered art. According to Moma Learning (1952), performance art typically consists of “the four elements: time, space, the performer's body, and the relationship between audience and performer.” Additionally, performance art is interdisciplinary, meaning it employs another aspect of visual art such as props or video. According to The Art Story, the purpose of performance art in association with contemporary African art is to allow artists to challenge other forms of visual art when they deem them too conservative for their intentions. Turning to performance art allows artists to both find new audiences and test new ideas. All the above insights can be further exhibited through the works created by the artists: Wangechi Mutu, Samuel Fosso, Yinka Shonibare and Tracey Rose. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Artwork A is a collage created by Wangechi Mutu in 2017 and is titled Ndoro Na Miti (Mud and Trees). This piece reflects on the strength of women and their connection to the Earth. Her project should challenge the specific ways in which the majority of women are represented. Wangechi Mutu states that “[women] are responsible for the fate of the Earth” (Whitewall 2017). Considering the impact that the role played by women and the current issue of climate change has on the lives of all individuals in the world, this work of art encompasses a multitude of considerable issues. It may not be explicitly evident that Ndoro Na Miti features elements of transnationalism, however by taking into consideration the concepts and characteristics touched upon by the artwork, the transnationalistic elements can be observed. This is fundamentally due to the political issues related to women and climate that are evident both in Kenya and where she currently resides, in New York. A further work created by artist Wangechi Mutu is Artwork E, created in 2017 and entitled Water Woman. Water Woman is a large bronze casting facing east and overlooking the lagoon located in Austin, Texas. The bronze casting is intended to depict a nqwa which is a mythological sea nymph popularly raised and recognized in East African folklore. Wangechi Mutu's art seems to reflect his childhood spent in Africa and his artistic training obtained in the West. It is with this that a sense of transnationalism in Wangechi Mutu's art can be recognized and observed. Specifically, it is the way in which East African myth is the focus of bronze casting. The fact that an African myth is the center of a work of art in a place other than where the myth originates further reflects on thenotion of transnationalism and the role it plays in the unification and integration of cultures. Wangechi Mutu's art primarily reflects on women's identity and representation and is complemented and strengthened by discussion of African ideals. Artwork B was created by Samuel Fosso and is titled The Chief: He Who Sold Africa to the Colonialists (Self-Portrait as an African Chief). This piece is a conceptually political self-portrait of the artist seated in a chair and engulfed in large quantities of jewelery and symbolic patterned fabrics. This photograph is intended to serve as a parody of the leader who sold Africa to the colonists and is illustrated and conveyed primarily through the overabundance of materials and objects within the photograph. Additionally, Samuel Fosso poses with flowers and a bag and wears a pair of unique glasses. His art could be considered performance art mainly due to the way in which in each of his self-portraits, Samuel Fosso can be identified as the center of attention as he portrays a different individual and due to the inclusion of props. By turning the camera on himself and allowing himself to be the center of focus of the work, he offers contemporary audiences the opportunity to observe and recognize the artist's intention. An additional work created by artist Samuel Fosso is Artwork F, a photograph created in 1998 and titled Liberated American Woman/A Self-portrait. This photograph shows Samuel Fosso dressed in women's heels, makeup, jewelry and a western hat, all while being wrapped in a plethora of various fabrics and patterns. In this photograph, which can also be considered performance art. It seems that Samuel Fosso's intention in this piece was to reshape the fabrics in a rebellious way to illuminate the concept of freedom. The juxtaposition also comes into play when you consider that Samuel Fosso is dressed in colorful “authentic African” fabrics while posing as an American woman. This piece keeps the bourgeois woman archetype front and center and is primarily associated with the overall desire and demand for freedom and independence. Interestingly, this piece was created before Samuel Fosso's first visit to the United States. This further exemplifies the concept of performance art by using her body and surroundings to frame her message of freedom and the characteristics of American middle-class female life in terms of materialistic value and conventional attitudes. The artwork C was created by Yinka Shonibare in 2013 and is titled Scramble for Africa. The title refers to the Berlin conference of 1874 in which Africa was divided between European countries. Yinka Shonibare intentionally uses headless mannequins surrounding a large table featuring a map of Africa to illustrate the concept of colonialism and transnationalism. Scramble for Africa incorporates the global commercial product of textiles, which cover the headless mannequins. Furthermore, headless mannequins are included to provide and raise the general question of identity and identity politics. These fabrics are specifically referred to as Vlisco and were created by the Dutch originally for the Indonesians, however the fabrics were more accepted in Africa. Textiles eventually effectively became signifiers of African identity during the dissociation of colonial rule. Most people don't know or recognize the story behind these "authentic African" fabrics. It therefore appears that these textures are included to allow viewers of the artwork to consider the overarching themes of authenticity and identity. The transnationalism associated with clothes and textiles resonates similarly.