Thematic Exhibition
Recy: Art – Waste as a Resource
Curator and catalogue author: Ivana Vojt, Senior Curator
The Museum of African Art presents its new thematic exhibition Recy: Art - Waste as a Resource, which foregrounds one of the most pressing global challenges: the consequences of the growing amount of waste and the possibilities of its transformation into a valuable resource.
Against the backdrop of accelerated urbanization, population growth, and shifting consumer habits that have dramatically increased waste across the African continent, the exhibition showcases creative responses by individuals, associations, and companies who turn this challenge into opportunity. At its core are utilitarian objects, jewellery, and souvenirs fashioned from industrial solid waste in Sub-Saharan Africa, bearing witness to innovative approaches to sustainability and economic ingenuity.
Rooted in the Museum’s collection - enriched since 1977 with works made from recycled materials—the exhibition has been significantly expanded with new acquisitions and donations from across Africa. Particularly noteworthy are objects gathered during field research in Tanzania in 2024, facilitated by touristic agency Disco Travel, alongside works from private collections and gifts from collaborators and friends of the Museum. On this occasion, the collection has grown by one hundred new pieces.
The curatorial framework organizes the display according to material: plastic, metal, and glass packaging, textiles, paper, and even discarded rubber flip-flops. Through this lens, curator Ivana Vojt highlights both the industrial origins of these materials and the inventive strategies of their reuse. By interrogating the relationship between global economies and local communities, the exhibition positions Africa as a vital locus within worldwide flows of waste and sustainable practice.
The exhibition title carries a dual imperative: to speak openly and urgently about the problem of waste (in Serbian, the word “reci” carries a layered meaning: it literally means “say” but at the same time, it functions as an abbreviation of the word “reciklaža”-“recycle”), and to recognize the artistic and artisanal potential of objects born of recycling (“art”). Paper vessels from Eswatini, flip-flop sculptures from Kenya, motorcycle-tire sandals from Tanzania, glass beads from Ghana, and baskets woven from plastic bags in Burkina Faso exemplify the ingenuity on view. These works not only embody creativity but also sustain livelihoods, a dimension further underscored in accompanying video installations.
As an introduction to the exhibition, the sculpture “Have You Ever Bin to Africa” by artist Andrej Josifovski Pianist was installed in front of the Museum. This work critically reflects on the comfortable position of the consumer society of the global North, whose members, consciously or unconsciously, contributes to the accumulation of waste in Africa, while at the same time eagerly visiting the continent as tourists. The sculpture was created from discarded materials, further emphasizing the paradox it seeks to expose. The materials and logistics were provided by Ekostar Pak, while the realization was carried out by Garant.
The exhibition was ceremonially opened on April 22, 2026, symbolically on Earth Day. Speeches were given by Marija Aleksić, Director of the Museum, Ivana Vojt, the exhibition’s author, Guibert Hairson, collector of African art and Nenad Radujević, Director of Belgrade Fashion Week. Their addresses highlighted the importance of connecting art, ecology, and social responsibility.
Photographers: Bojan Džodan and Duško Vukić
The exhibition is complemented by a robust public program of educational activities, workshops, and panels on sustainable development, as well as collaborations with relevant institutions and initiatives. Among these are ReciSkulptUra, realized in partnership with Nestlé and Sekopak, and joint projects with Belgrade Fashion Week addressing recycling and sustainable fashion.
With Recy: Art – Waste as a Resource, the Museum of African Art continues its exploration of contemporary social issues through the prism of art, fostering dialogue on responsibility, creativity, and the possibilities of a sustainable future. Each work tells a story of community, tradition, and creative resistance to dominant consumerist paradigms, demonstrating that waste can serve as the starting point for new cycles of creation. In this way, the exhibition establishes itself as a platform for critical reflection on the intersections of material, environment, and culture, while opening dialogue on global waste streams, Africa’s role within them, and the importance of socially responsible practices aimed at environmental preservation.
The exhibition runs until 15 September 2026.
