Art critic and historian Carl Einstein was one of the most important figures in the creation of contemporary art theory and of modernity itself. His writings were essential to the ratification of cubism as a recognized art movement and to the Western appreciation of tribal art, the formal beauty of the latter being celebrated in his 1915 work Negerplastik, which is today considered an incunabula of African art scholarship. Forty African objects appearing in the illustrations of this fundamental work will be exhibited for a period of three months in Madrid's Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, intermingled with some eighty works of the avant-garde artists whose imaginations they nourished, such Picasso, Braque, Dalí, Klee, Dix, and Leger.

www.museoreinasofia.es

The MEG has put a group of 120 exceptional objects from its African collection on view to familiarize visitors with the "technology of enchantment" embodied by the masks and sculpture of Africa. At the time of their creation, these objects were filled with the power to act upon the world and its inhabitants, and went on to intervene on the behalf of their users in religious ceremonies, defense against sorcery, and rituals of initiation and healing. Often surrounded by secrecy and crafted with extraordinary skill, these masks and sculptures appeared before laymen and initiates in complex and impressive mise en scènes.

Vivacity of color, naivety of form, and overflowing expression are among the many characteristics which define the quality of the posters of African cinema. A seductive ensemble of these original paintings on fabric is on view at L'Accrosonge for a short monographic exhibition.

Kumbi Saleh of Barcelona has devoted its autumn exhibition to the art and culture of the Dogon. Through a selection of fifty masks, ritual sculptures, and utilitarian objects, the show celebrates the universe of a people anchored in tradition.

Conceived in partnership with Le Toit du Monde, this exhibition explores the traditions of Nepal, as attractive as they are ignored. Eminently religious, the material culture of Nepal is characterized by its soft and elegant forms, carried out in varied style and testifying to the aesthetic and spiritual influences of Buddhism, Hinduism, and animism.

www.etniearte.com

Houston's McClain Gallery will host a nine-day exhibition of important works of tribal art beginning November 12. Curated by Entwistle of London and Paris, the show will feature a selection of African and Oceanic objects.

McClain Gallery
2242 Richmond Ave.
Houston, TX 77098
Tel: 1-713- 520-9988
E-mail: info@mcclaingallery.com

Sotheby's will present a beautiful and important group of African and Oceanic antiquities from the collection of Frieda and Milton Rosenthal on November 14 in New York. Split roughly evenly between the two geographic regions, the sale's 135 lots will place their emphasis on cultures from West Africa and Papua New Guinea. The most important focus of the sale by far will be the Rosenthal Primordial Couple: an extremely important and valuable pair of male and female Senufo ancestor figures that rank among the most iconic works of tribal art ever documented. Other highlights will include an important Sawos malu board, a rare Kota reliquary, a fine Rapa Nui male figure, a Fang male reliquary, and male ancestor figures of the Hemba and Boyo.

View the online catalogue

Aguttes will present a large sale of Asian and tribal art at Drouot Richelieu in Paris on November 14. Comprising over 400 lots, the sale will feature religious and sculptural art from Indochina and the Himalayas, a large collection of Chinese toggles, a group of Peruvian ceramics, and a large variety of African objects.

View the online catalogue

Drouot Richelieu
9 rue Drouot
75009 Paris
Tel: +33 1 48 00 20 02

Zemanek-Münster will present its 55th tribal art sale on November 15 in Wurzburg. Featuring over 500 objects, the sale will include a wide range of African masks and statuary, along with smaller groups of utilitarian objects and sculpture from Oceania, Indonesia, and the pre-Columbian Americas. Highlights will include a Jukun akuma mask formerly in the collection of Jacques Kerchache, a Fang byeri figure, a Baule blolo bian figure, a Songye nkisi head fragment, and a pair of Bangwa figures.

View the online catalogue

Claes Gallery has recently taken up residence at a new location on Rue Van Moer in Brussels' Place du Grand Sablon. To inaugurate the new space, the gallery is presenting an exhibition showcasing the J.S. Collection of Bordeaux. Featuring masks and statuary from Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Congo, the show will run from November 6 through December 6.

www.didierclaes.com

Rue Van Moer 7
1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 414 1929