On the occasion of the Re:assemblages Symposium, we are pleased to announce a partnership between Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation and Contemporary And (C&) to present the C& Cyclopedia in our newly activated Reading Room at the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive for a period of six months. Conceived as a space for encounters with publications that trace connections across African and Afro-diasporic art and cultural ecologies, the Reading Room features materials from the Re:assemblages programme’s growing ecosystem of contributors, alongside a digital intervention by C&.
Launched on October 23rd, the C& Cyclopedia is a groundbreaking digital resource that reimagines C&’s extensive archive of around 11,000 texts in English, French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. Built from contributions by writers, artists, and curators worldwide, the C& Cyclopedia transforms the archive into a site of exploration and encounter—shifting from information-seeking to discovery, dialogue, and “a place to hang out.” More than an archive, it consolidates, preserves, and advances narratives around contemporary art from Africa and the Global Diaspora, actively documenting and shaping cultural discourses, inspiring new formats, and serving as a tool of foresight. Designed to stimulate reflection across multiple levels, it prompts critical questions at the intersection of art, technology, language, and inclusion, while offering visitors the opportunity to navigate connections, uncover hidden narratives, and co-create knowledge. As such, the C& Cyclopedia serves as a vital resource that expands how contemporary art is accessed, experienced, and reimagined globally.
In the Reading Room, the C& Cyclopedia will be accessible on a computer, accompanied by usage guidelines. A feedback form will also be available, inviting users to share their reflections on the resource.
The collaboration is developed in the framework of the Re:assemblages programme, initiated by G.A.S. Foundation and Yinka Shonibare Foundation, and curated by Naima Hassan. Contemporary& join the African Arts Libraries (AAL) Lab and Affiliates Network as a crucial publishing member institution.
About Contemporary And (C&)
Contemporary And (C&) is a platform for international contemporary art and thought. Founded in 2013 as a bilingual online magazine, C& has since unfolded into the C& Cosmos: two online magazines (C& Magazine and C& América Latina Magazine), critical print publications, free education programs, and projects that move between digital and physical space. From reading rooms to mentoring, from artist commissions to the C& Cyclopedia, they create spaces for reflection, connection, and exchange.
African Arts Libraries (AAL) Lab and Affiliates Network
The African Arts Libraries Lab (AAL Lab) is a new network convened by G.A.S. and Y.S.F. that unites a dynamic group of African arts libraries and publishers across cities including Lagos, Dakar, Marrakesh, Cairo, Nairobi, Cape Town, Limbe, and beyond, to engage critical questions on publishing practices, libraries, and archives in Africa. Museums and institutions in Europe and North America will be invited to participate in collective experimentation with AAL Lab members, encouraging new ways of networking, preserving, and activating African and Afro-diasporic library collections across multilocational sites. Through the African Arts Libraries Affiliates Network, the Lab extends to arts libraries, publishers, and research institutions worldwide that hold significant African and Afro-diasporic collections, inviting them to support African-led infrastructures through knowledge exchange, co-curation, joint research, and capacity-building.
