The ‘Building Africa’ exhibition was crafted to tell compelling stories about political institutions and identities across the continent, using architectural landmarks such as presidential palaces, courts, parliaments, schools, sports stadiums, airports, and the African Union building. The exhibition explored how these structures play a pivotal role in shaping political landscapes. It was curated by Dr Kuukuwa Manful, Assistant Professor of Architecture at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan and by Julia Gallagher, Professor of African Politics at SOAS, and showed at the Brunei Gallery, London from 10th January to 16th March 2024.

The curators took a collaborative approach to designing and displaying the exhibition and thus commissioned design teams from Ethiopia, South Africa, and Ghana to craft installations that initially debuted in Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, and Accra. These installations provided a lens into local responses to iconic buildings, highlighting the nuanced interplay between architectural concepts and public sentiment and invited audience feedback. The three successful Africa-based installations were then reinterpreted and adapted to the United Kingdom location through an exhibition design by Kuukuwa Manful.