Museum roots for the African story

Co-Founder PiCHA Museum Joel Lukhovi during the picha museum preview at the Cinema Rooftop Unseen Nairobi, 623 Wood Avenue. June 19, 2025. [David Gichuru, Standard] PiCHA, Africa's first museum for contemporary African photography, will open its doors in June 2026. Founded by Joel Lukhovi and Frank Bierens, the museum will be located on Nairobi's Kijabe Street. The two co-founders held the museum's preview event at Unseen Nairobi on Thursday evening. PiCHA Museum will house permanent collections as well as showcase a series of solo exhibitions for African photographers. The exhibitions aim to challenge erasure, amplify agency, and celebrate everyday life with themes such as identity, heritage, neocolonialism, migration, climate change, gender, and contemporary life. Standing on a four-storey building, the museum will also be home to expansive galleries, a rooftop cafe, and a shop, fostering a sense of belonging to audiences. A unique addition to Nairobi's vibrant art scene, PiCHA is set to make African photography more accessible to local audiences. Situated in a historical and artistic environment, the museum is expected to attract 285 visitors every day. The two co-founders have secured the building and welcome sponsors to help them transform it into a museum. Co-Founder PiCHA Museum Frank Bierens during the picha museum preview at the Cinema Rooftop Unseen Nairobi, 623 Wood Avenue. June 19, 2025. [David Gichuru, Standard] Lukhovi, also a photographer, said the space will hold photography exhibitions that tell stories that are powerful, moving, and immersive. "PiCHA centres African photography through a multifaceted approach by showcasing visual histories and artistic movements, education and innovation," he said. He said the museum aims to reclaim historical and amplify present narratives by fusing them with vibrant contemporary discourse. It will champion regional art not just as a display of images but as a powerful instrument for cultural identity, self-representation, and education. The stories to be told in its permanent collections and rotating exhibitions will reflect the region's past, present, and imagined futures. "It embeds itself in community realities by honouring and fostering active participation. It transforms from a place of viewing to a site of dialogue, belonging, and co-creation," he said. Former CJ, Dr Willy Mutunga during the PiCHA Museum preview at the Cinema Rooftop Unseen Nairobi, 623 Wood Avenue. June 19, 2025. [David Gichuru, Standard] A TED Talk by Nigerian photographer and filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu on the grotesque portrayal of Africa through photographs and his mission to change it played on screen during the event. "As Andrew said, the only way to change the narrative is to create new imagery by Africans to reflect Africa's full life and complexity," said Bierens. The two co-founders, who reimagine cultural accessibility and innovative digital models through PiCHA, will collaborate directly with artists and galleries in getting visual works to exhibit. The PiCHA Museum board consists of former Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court Dr Willy Mutunga, Standard Group Chief Executive Editor Chaacha Mwita, social entrepreneur & UX designer Mark Kamau, and Frank Bierens. Photographer Sarah Waiswa praised the venture, saying he hoped that East African photography would start to receive more recognition in global conversations.

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