Co-optation as an Imaginative Act: Art-related Initiatives and Social Space in Kampala

Imagination and creativity in African cities is not always marked by rebellion, resistance, and criticism but also by the adaptation and cooptation of power-holders and elites. With limited national art infrastructures, NGO policies frequently perceived as neocolonial, and an art market that depends predominantly on foreign collectors, visual artists in Kampala tend to deploy techniques of co-optation as an imaginative act to realise their ideas and generate new audiences. This essay discusses two art-related initiatives that have had a striking impact on the contemporary art scene of Kampala, Uganda. Both projects, the Kampala Art Biennale and the Kampala Art Auction, are the result of innovative attempts by cultural practitioners to pave the way for new individual and collective art platforms in which co-optation plays a crucial role. They seek potential new patrons by activating particular physical and social spaces such as hotels, public buildings, or social networks. In doing so, they attract the interest of economic and political elites who still tend to ignore the visual arts but may become future constituents.