The Media and Visual Arts Section of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana is one of the six sections of the Institute. The section handles the teaching, learning, and researching into African Art and its history and the material culture on the African Continent and in the diaspora while situating these within global art history discourses.
The section offers courses at both the Masters’ and PhD levels. At the Masters’ level (MA, MPhil) Survey of African Art is offered in the first semester and Methodologies for Constructing Art History in Selected African Societies in the second semester. At the PhD level Historiography of African Art is offered in the first semester and Contemporary African Art History in the second semester.
The section attaches great importance to interdisciplinary research and learning and is made up of faculty members with expertise in African Art History and Architectural History. The faculty members are Prof. Kwame Amoah Labi and Dr. Irene Appeaning Addo
The Section has curated several exhibitions including Kuduo and University of Ghana Architecure and the recent one is titled ‘Every Human Being is a Human Being’, which was first showcased in the Memphis in May 2022 – International Salute to Ghana Exhibition (https://memphisinmay.org/events/international-salute-to-ghana/experience/exhibits/).
The research activities of the faculties include, A study of the Fante Asafo Flag of Ghana, Kuduo-Brass Weights, Architectural Transitions in Northern Ghana, and African Urbanisms and the Built Environment.
Some of the academic resources in the section are the museum, an audio-visual laboratory and photo music and paper archives in the Kwabena Nketia Archives.