Contemporary Ethiopian Art and Globalization Thanks to many farsighted Ethiopian leaders, Modern Ethiopian artists of the last century were educated in almost every major city of the world. For contemporary Ethiopian Art, global is a fait accompli. Globalization, however, is more a question of artistic and cultural survival and avoiding artistic isolation than it is an unrealistic fight or inclusion in a destabilizing, and menacing international art market and commerce environment. Now a days, when nations of the world are regrouping according to their spiritual and cultural strength, namely as Arabic speaking, Francophone, Latin speaking, Anglophone, etc., or with special ties to their ex-colonial rulers or religious affiliations, it is only her arts which can spiritually and culturally connect Ethiopia globally. Since currently globalization is associated with Americanization and since Ethiopian art has a long-standing history and interest in American art, it cannot afford to dissociate itself from the best of American Art. It can, however, dissociate itself from the heavily commercialized mainstream American art movement. Even before globalization became the buzzword, America was the major force behind the strength of 20th century Ethiopian Art. The founder and the first director of the Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts, Ale Felege Selam, and prominent artists, including Daniel Touafe, Tadesse Gizaw and several others, studied in the United States during the second half of the last century. Other artists, such as Gebre Kristos Desta and Skunder Boghossian, two leading African modernists who initially got their education in Europe, migrated to the United States along with their youngest and brightest students and built a solid reputation for Contemporary Ethiopian Art and American Artists of Ethiopian origin in the U.S. The teaching and tolerance of American art was such that the ideals of modern American art, together with the increased patronage of Americans, took center stage in 1960s Addis Ababa. Visual art education and its purpose and the role the artist plays within the country were more and more geared to American Schools rather than to the style of European Academies. Progressively, when many organizations, such as the United States Information Service, which encourages, employs and motivate young generation artists, turned their face to some other form of cooperation or all together abandoned their functions, culturally passionate individuals were still helping Ethiopia to be a part of global mainstream visual art. American participation during the Peace Corps era was also profound in several ways Such participation involved not only purchasing works of art and helping to organize art shows, but also giving grants and art scholarships and providing training. Particularly, the choices of the works purchased by Americans directly encouraged Ethiopian Modernists. By the 1970's prominent Ethiopian artists had sold at least one work to an American patron or were given chances to show their work while still sponsored by American institutions. The period represented an excellent hallmark of fostering cultural activities. Indeed, for the few passionate and the farsighted, the arts remain the only civil way to achieve honest dialogue and better relations. For example, in the 1980s, when everything seemed to fail, John Burns of the American Embassy in Addis Ababa, “who represented the best of America” not only used art to connect with the Ethiopian cadres and officials, but also helped several Ethiopians in cultural and other fields to attain their objectives. In the final analyses, Contemporary Ethiopian art would not have reached its present stage had it not been for the involvement of few individuals who were most enthusiastic and ready to help desperate Ethiopian artists in a time of uncertainty. For most Modern Ethiopian artists, the prophetic, noble, and creative achievement of the artist is still strong, and art is still thought of as a kind of magic that is truly thought provoking, uplifting, and to be revered as a noble cultural activity. Also the majority of the artists believe that their art is worthy nationally as well as internationally. Until now, Modern Ethiopian art impact at home as well as abroad has been more its cultural contribution, cultural value and magnetism, than its business or commercial nature. The question is whether the younger generation contemporary artists will protect and maintain the lofty ideals, principles and concerns of the 20th century Ethiopian artists whose honored tradition they worked to maintain while also trying to succeed in their commercial ventures. Contemporary Ethiopian artists focus not only on the symbolic and cultural significance of their work, but also its monetary value. When gallery owners, managers, and art collectors joined the world of fine art retailing, contemporary artists become more and more interested in exhibiting their work to generate income. These artists have developed an increasingly materialistic interest. In the last few years, we have witnessed as never before the growth of Ethiopian Art retail activities. The large number of artists showing their works and the number of galleries and dealers, even web sites that are dedicated to selling the art is astounding. To this trend is added the 2004 participation and contribution of the Makush Art Gallery at the international Artexpo in New York City.* What bothers many concerned individuals in this flux is the controversial view of artistic influence. Contemporary Ethiopian artists, however, just like their predecessors, are not afraid of any kind of influence, including the enforced socialist realist art prevalent in the 1980s. Actually, when Ethiopian artists find an interesting and inspiring idea or an artistic solution to their artistic problem they will not fail to apply it -- American or otherwise. No wonder many individuals have noticed this interest of Ethiopian artists and have suspected foreign domination or influence and a loss of identity. The truth is that unlike other forms of technical knowledge, the core of artistic gift and aesthetics can hardly be transferred to another society devoid of artistic tradition. The inevitability of artistic influence that can never be avoided can only grow in a fertile tradition. If, now, globalization is feared as Americanization and if Ethiopian artists are suspected of being influenced by American art, so be it. If they come any closer to being not necessarily in the commercialized mainstream, but rather the best of American art, it is a great achievement and worthwhile accomplishment. During its thousands of years of history and contact with other cultures and art, Ethiopia has maintained its national character and identity in the arts. What is more troubling and complex issue, however, is the global art market and the commercial connection of Ethiopian art to that market. Strictly speaking, Ethiopian art became involved in business and enterprise only with the production of easel painting at the beginning of the 20th century. From the beginning, that commercial association was Ethiopian Folk Art and not what we call Modern Art. . Even today the association is Folk and Religious Folk Art more than it is Ethiopian Modern Art. That association dominates the literature of Ethiopian art and attracts the curiosity of individual collectors, including Addis Ababa University. The attempt to commercialize and export Folk Art started in the 1930’s and was prematurely banned by the government because of its content and unpleasant nature. In the 1940s, after the Italian occupation, in more or less organized ways, the Itege Menen Handicraft School, the Tourist organization, and other souvenir shops and individuals began the process of commercializing Folk Art and artifacts. They rarely exported them, but instead sold them to the tourist market at an attractive price. On the other hand, the Art Schools of Modern Ethiopia created art, irrespective of commercial considerations. The primary concern and role of Kine Tibeb School and latter the Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts was to train artists and prepare a culturally sensitive artistic persona. If now, contemporary artists discover the commercial or business aspect of art and achieve commercial or market successes, a market like the New York international Artexpo become the measure for the art’s excellence, Contemporary Ethiopian art as we know it will be no more. The global market tends to reduce all things to economic terms, including art that is intended to provide a sort of solace, identification, pride, and reassurance to the spirit of even the most wretched and destitute peoples. The market is culturally and artistically intimidating, even for advanced and developed countries; indeed it is as much a threat to the art of developing countries. As far as the dealers or promoters are concerned, it is understandable that their intention is to make a profit out of their collection. Nobody will object to any kind of monetary value made available to Ethiopian creative persons and dealers. It might be genuine and even timely, but at what price? Far from being a consumer commodity, art is a reflection of the generation and intended for a society, and is a cultural relic and a national treasure. Whether looted and exported or legally exported, ancient or contemporary treasure is treasure; the act of sacrilege applies to the looted as well as to the legally exported treasures. It is a disturbing trend to see the creative works of highly educated artists exported and sold, when in other fields, there is concern about brain drain or the loss of manpower. In international art market, works of art are sold and purchased not always for their national or racial and ethnic origin. They are sold and purchased because of their excellence and artistic achievement. If that is the viewpoint why even consider moving or exporting excellent works of art from the country? If this kind of venture continues, and artwork is exported, what will happen to the next generation? What will those Ethiopians say when they discover that several Ethiopian masterpieces are overseas? Shouldn’t those works be protected or purchased by a national tycoon or person of philanthropy or government body? How much of the work the Ethiopian public was able to see and given a chance to make a commitment to purchase is only a speculation. In any case, just because the nation’s middle class cannot afford or does not want to buy the works and just because the government fails to have a policy regarding visual arts does not mean the works should be exported and sold to the highest bidder. Just because the artist is in a pathetic situation does not mean that dealers or promoters should take advantage of his or her situation and fine-tune the artist to produce an exportable consumer product. Unless Contemporary Ethiopian art is first acknowledged and given significance in the country, it will be naïve to believe that the art will achieve any kind of global success or recognition. In this day and age one must be not only of one’s times but also one must be of one’s place. Even after going global and commercial with their work, if the younger generation artists who are in constant flux are not made aware of their obligation to the society that protects and support them, their work will have no national significance. So long as the best and the brightest Ethiopian artists are seduced and persuaded by the power of the foreign market and misled by that adventure, not only will Contemporary Ethiopian art remain eternally marginal, derivative and mediocre, it will have no place in the nation’s psyche. The truth of the matter is that commercialized globalization of art entails these kinds of self-defeating scenarios. The nation’s artistic freedom and success without having such failure or tragedy will only be possible when promoters, gallery owners, dealers, and concerned individuals and the artist are ready to think globally and act locally and regionally. I would like to thank Ephrem M Girma the owner of Blengrafix and the coordinator of the Annual Blen Art Show for providing me with the information and documents I needed, including a CD-ROM of the Makush Art Gallery that contains the works and biographical data of 15 contemporary artists. By: Esseye Medhin, June 1, 2004