Africa and Byzantium: Reflections on a Proposed New Synthesis (part 3/3)
Reflections
The exhibition, Africa and Byzantium, goes beyond a collection, commentary, and critique. It suggests ties between the art and artifacts of the first (and much of the second) millennium and several entities of our current (third) millennium. Drawing on scholars like W. E. B. Du Bois, painters like Pablo Picasso, authors like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, poets like Elizabeth Alexander, and contemporary visual artists like Theo Eshetu (Ethiopia) and Tsedaye Makonnen (Ethiopia, America), the curators put forth a powerful contention: there is no warrant in claiming any special—let alone any exclusive—status for Western civilization. Dating back millennia, there has been a constant and constructive interplay among many cultures; those of us in the West can only understand our history—as well as our current practices—by discovering and explicating the many currents and cross-currents… from A to B… and beyond to Z.
Installation shot from Africa and Byzantium exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the Icon of the Virgin and Child, Hodegretria variant (13th century) in lower left corner, from metmuseum.org
As expressed by historian, Achille Mbembe, here’s the indictment:
“It is now widely acknowledged that Africa as an idea, a concept, has historically served, and continues to serve, as a polemical argument for the West’s desperate desire to assert its difference from the rest of the world.”
And here’s a context proposed by medievalist Suzanne Conklin Akbari:
“Each of these concepts… ‘Africa’ and ‘Byzantium’ is shaped by imperial and colonial histories that deform our historical accounts of the past, especially those that aim to offer a global perspective.”
These claims are worth serious consideration: the curators are to be praised for voicing them. At the same time, we should not jump to the conclusion that contemporary artists and artifacts have a lineal tie to the periods and objects covered by this survey. There are centuries and continents in between, undoubtedly much back-and-forth in both time and space, as well as happy accidents, and less happy dead ends. Nor should we, as reflective contemporaries, simply try to integrate Africa into the master plot of Western history—or even a broader notion of Western history that includes Byzantium.
Concluding notes: For those of us who seek to understand syntheses
Byzantine illustration of the biblical story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, from the Menologion of Basil II, c. 1000 AD. Vat.gr.1613, Wikimedia
Syntheses are useful—and may even be necessary. But they can and deserve to be critiqued, revised, improved, and sometimes, replaced. Though the philosopher Hegel apparently did not employ Greek terms himself, he is generally credited with proposing the following sequence: Thesis, Anti-thesis, and—ultimately —a new (and presumably superior) Synthesis… which in turn inspires a re-creation—and, hopefully, an improvement—of the cycle.
It’s clear to me that the historical syntheses that I—and many of my predecessor college students—encountered and often accepted is clearly insufficient: History/Soc Sci 1, “From Plato to NATO,” should themselves be consigned to history. (For a new and promising approach to introducing history, read this article [link here]). And if the argument of the exhibition Africa and Byzantium has merit, the aforementioned historical syntheses needs to be overturned, and perhaps replaced.
Indeed, the very idea of “civilization” seems relatively recent—perhaps dating back to the 18th century—a synthesis gratuitously crediting the Greeks and Romans with proposing rationality, justice, democracy and other “big ideas.” As described recently by historian, Josephine Quinn, (2024):
“Ancient Greece was less a place of origins than of transmission from Egyptian, Sumerian, Assyrian, and Phoenician culture which had themselves mixed and exchanged ideas. Democracy had started in many places and its development is due to a congeries of influences.”
Moreover, even the concatenation proposed at the Metropolitan Museum has a longer shadow. In 1942—the height (or depth) of World War II— highly esteemed British-trained anthropologist, Siegfried Nadel, produced a 400 page monograph on the Kingdom of Nupe in what was then the British colony of Nigeria. To illustrate the complexity of this society, Nadel undertook a thorough description of the economy, legal system, religious practices, cultural traditions, and social groupings and hierarchies among the Nuer. His monograph has an arresting title: Black Byzantium.
Of course, not every new synthesis is a step forward, a move in the right direction. In my initial study of syntheses which was carried out at the beginning of this century (Gardner, 2005), I alighted upon efforts to integrate different theories of human development. As a trained developmental psychologist, I was eager to encounter such work. Yet, I may have been the proverbial “man who knew too much.” While not eager to put a colleague directly on the spot, I used Ken Wilber’s formulation as an example of a synthesis that did not advance the field, but rather simply confused it. In such cases of over-reach, it may be preferable to go back to the Hegelian drawing board.
Certainly in these three blogs, I have demonstrated my lack of credentials for evaluating the synthesis put forward by the curators and essayists of Africa and Byzantium. But I feel confident that their proposed synthesis—even if overwrought in some ways—has opened, or opened further, some very promising paths to increased knowledge and, perhaps as well, deeper appreciation.
Equally important, they have reminded me—and, I hope, readers as well—of the importance of scholarship that is innovative and also thoughtful, and perhaps laid the ground work for new and powerful syntheses, at least until the next compelling antithesis is put forward.
Two Postludes:
When, in early March 2024, I first conceived of this set of blogs, we conducted a little experiment. To the Large Language Model, Chat GPT, I posed the following question: “What would Howard Gardner say about the Metropolitan Museum Exhibit on Africa and Byzantium?
Here is the response, which came directly and immediately:
“Howard Gardner, a psychologist known for his theory of multiple intelligences, might approach the Metropolitan Museum Exhibit on Africa and Byzantium from various perspectives. Considering his focus on different forms of intelligence, he might assess the exhibit's effectiveness in appealing to and engaging visitors with diverse cognitive strengths.
Visual-Spatial Intelligence: Gardner would likely evaluate how the exhibit utilizes visual elements such as artifacts, images, and layout to convey information about African and Byzantine cultures. He might consider the effectiveness of the display in stimulating visitors' visual-spatial intelligence and enhancing their understanding of the historical and cultural context.
Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence: Gardner might analyze the written materials accompanying the exhibit, including signage, descriptions, and educational resources. He would assess how well these materials communicate complex ideas about African and Byzantine history and art, catering to visitors with strong verbal-linguistic intelligence.
Interpersonal Intelligence: Gardner would consider how the exhibit encourages interaction and collaboration among visitors. He might evaluate the opportunities for dialogue, discussion, and shared learning experiences within the exhibit space, fostering interpersonal connections and cultural exchange.
Intrapersonal Intelligence: Gardner might assess how the exhibit promotes self-reflection and personal exploration of the themes presented. He would consider whether visitors are encouraged to connect emotionally and intellectually with the artworks and artifacts, facilitating a deeper understanding of their own cultural identity and values.
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence: Gardner might examine how the exhibit presents information in a logical and structured manner, highlighting connections and patterns within African and Byzantine history and culture. He would assess the clarity of the exhibit's organization and the effectiveness of its educational approach in appealing to visitors with strong logical-mathematical intelligence.
Musical-Rhythmic Intelligence: Although less directly applicable to a museum exhibit, Gardner might consider if the exhibit incorporates any auditory elements such as music or oral histories to enrich the visitor experience, particularly for those with strong musical-rhythmic intelligence.
Overall, Gardner would likely evaluate the Metropolitan Museum Exhibit on Africa and Byzantium based on its ability to engage visitors with diverse intelligences, fostering both intellectual understanding and personal connection with the cultures being represented.”
EXERCISE FOR THE READER:
Pose a question to a large language model—preferably one that has access to recent content—about Art, Africa, Byzantium, and Howard Gardner—and see how it responds.
Ethiopia at the Crossroads, catalogue edited by Christine Sciacca
2. I am saddened to report that I did not have the opportunity to see the exhibition Africa and Byzantium in person. But I did spend many worthwhile hours poring over the impressive catalogue. And I hope in the future to begin to make up for my lamentable ignorance of Africa, Byzantium, and their intriguing concatenation.
Indeed, in the middle of May, my wife and I spent a memorable hour at the Peabody-Salem Museum, at an exhibition entitled Ethiopia at the Crossroads. This exhibition, mounted in conjunction with the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore and the Toledo (Ohio) Museum of Art, surveys nearly 2000 years of Ethiopian art and culture. While focused on the artifacts from one (certainly remarkable) country, the exhibition raises many of the same issues about originality, influence, and counter-influence provenanc, as does the Africa and Byzantium. And as a bonus, it features artworks by several contemporary artists born in Ethiopia, including Julie Mehretu, who has long been one of my favorite artists. As with Africa and Byzantium, there is an excellent catalogue, published by Yale University Press.
I would like to thank Shinri Furuzawa, Annie Stachura, and Ellen Winner for their comments on earlier drafts of this blog series.
References
Allardyce, G. (1982). The Rise and Fall of the Western Civilization Course. The American Historical Review, 87 (3), 695–725. https://doi.org/10.2307/1864161
Brown, P. (2024). Charged Wonders. The New York Review of Books. Available at: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/02/08/charged-wonders-africa-and-byzantium
Cotter, H. (2023). Largely Ignored by the Western World, Africa’s Medieval Treasures Shine at the Met. The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/arts/design/africa-byzantine-metropolitan-museum.html
Gardner, H. (2005). Five Minds for the Future. Harvard Business School Press.
Gardner, H. (2020). A Synthesizing Mind. MIT Press.
Gong, A. & Madduri, A. (2024) Harvard to Bring Back Introductory History Course for Fall Semester. The Harvard Crimson. Available at: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/3/25/intro-history-course-returns
Green, E. (2024). Old School: Have the liberal arts gone conservative? The New Yorker. March 18, pp. 12-18.
Kennicott, P. (2024) ‘Africa & Byzantium’ Reconfigures Ancient and Modern Worlds at the Met. Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2024/01/04/africa-byzantium-exhibit-met-review
Nadel, S. F. (1942). A Black Byzantium The Kingdom of Nupe in Nigeria
Nadel, S. F., Lugard, F. D., & International African Institute. (1942). A Black Byzantium; the kingdom of Nupe in Nigeria. Oxford University Press.
Quinn, J. (2024). How the World Made the West. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Tallman, S. (2024). The Disorienting Beauty of "Africa & Byzantium": A landmark exhibition offers a new history of art. In The Atlantic Monthly (2024-03), (Vol. 333, Issue 2, p. 86). Atlantic Media, Inc.