87 Masterpieces of African Art FROM THE Wally & Udo Horstmann collection at the Museo d'arte Mendrisio in Zwitserland

The title of this exhibition could easily have been 87 Masterpieces of African Art, if the term masterpiece had not been inflated by excessive inappropriate use.

Yet many of the works from the Horstmann Collection chosen for the Mendrisio exhibition are undoubtedly masterpieces, as these works illustrate to perfection the creative talents which the world now recognises in these African sculptors from a bygone age.

It is worth remembering that almost all the early 20th century European avant-garde artists were inspired by the Africans' extraordinary power and synthesis of expression, such as Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Nolde, Kirchner, Léger, Giacometti, Moore and many others. 

In fact, African sculpture was decisive in bringing about the turning-point in western art in the early 20th century.

This exhibition was done in collaboration with Ezio Bassani .

museo AT mendrisio.ch ++41 91 646 76 49 . Closed on monday