Georges Adéagbo (1942 in Benin, then Dahomey) is a conceptual artist.

« Le Socialisme Africain » 2001-2004/2026, 59th Carnegie International Pittsburgh — Photo : Zachary Riggleman Photo : Zachary Riggleman

« Le Socialisme Africain » 2001-2004/2026, 59th Carnegie International Pittsburgh

May 2, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027

Born 1942 in Cotonou, Rep. of Benin, Georges Adéagbo studied law in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and business administration in Rouen, France in the late 1960s. He began his assemblage practice when he returned to Benin after his father’s death in 1971. After he was discovered incidentally by a French curator he was invited 1994 to his first exhibition near Besançon. In 1999 Harald Szeemann chose his assemblage in public space for his Venice Biennale exhibition "Dappertutto" for which the jury gave him a Honorable Mention.

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The artist Adéagbo stands in front of a series of Barlach sculptures of which he replaced one with a mask from Benin.

EXHIBITION 30 Oct 2022 – 19 Feb 2023

Hamburg Ernst Barlach Haus «A l’école de Ernest Barlach, le sculpteur»

To mark his 80th birthday the Ernst Barlach Haus invited Georges Adéagbo to actively incorporate the collection of the Ernst Barlach drawings and sculptures into an installation. He commissioned painted and sculptural ‘translations’ from artisans in Benin.

on a white wall an american flag, portrait of Frederick Douglass and books on a ledge along the floor

EXHIBITION 17 November 2023 - 1 April 2024

Smithsonian Museum of African Art, Washington DC “Create to Free Yourselves: Abraham Lincoln and the history of Freeing Slaves in America”

Adéagbo iuxtaposes objects and documents that show the complexity of the process of the abolition of slavery. They include Abraham Lincoln’s writing, portraits of Frederick Douglass and John Brown all produced in Benin.

ein grosser Raum, viele objekte an den Wänden und auf dem großen roten Teppich.

EXHIBITION 21 June - 28 August 2023

Reina Sofia Madrid contribution to “Machinations” «La révolution et les révolutions»

For the exhibition called "Machinations" based on Félix Guattari and Gilles Deleuze's thinking on molar forms of resistance, Georges Adéagbo created a new version of his critical work «La révolution et les révolutions» conceived 2016 for the 11th Shanghai Biennial.

in a large space a wooden figure with four faces, in the background a flag of the GDR and a vitrine with numerous objects.

EXHIBITION 28.3.2021 – 25.7.21.2021

KINDL, Berlin – «La Lumière que fait le bonheur»

For his most extensive solo exhibition to date, Adéagbo is developing an installation at the KINDL that will occupy the entire exhibition space, drawing on elements from central works such as Tout de moi à tous (2007) and Une espace avec le monde (2007) and updating them with found objects from Neukölln and the KINDL archives.

This video documentary was made on occasion of his exhibition at KINDL Berlin in 2012