“Looking Both Ways: Art of the Contemporary African Diaspora” is an exhibition that offers several practicing artists the chance to explore the psychological terrain between the West and Africa, examine the continually changing physical geographies and contexts in the perceived ever-increasing globalization of the African diaspora and identify the various emotional expressions and aesthetic ambitions that manifest in one's work as a result of the African diaspora. The curatorial vision of the exhibition aimed to create a distinct space of personal and cultural stories, perspectives and artistic visions, while attempting to avoid the homogenization of the multiple realities of the artists involved. (NKA, 2008:41). This essay will critically investigate the concept of diaspora, the place it occupies in the artistic community, as well as issues of nationalism, the desire to create new spaces, migration, memory and the breakdown of traditional Western narratives that are explored in the works displayed in the exhibition “Looking Both Ways: Art of the Contemporary African Diaspora.” Derived from the ancient Greek language, the word diaspora means “dispersal,” a literal “sowing abroad,” and has since been linked to ideas of colonization, migration, and violent removals from homelands (Peffer, 2003:22-23). The term itself has been criticized and contested as a concept that is neither neutral nor simply a descriptive term that can be used by the West when referring to “groups of people, their history and their cultural identities” (Minty, 2004 :11). This in itself might explain why some artists were reluctant to participate in the African Diaspora exhibition for fear of their visual works being subjected to a homogenous Western vision... middle of paper... red in isolation, but needs to work on Works Cited-Farrel, L. 2003. Looking Both Ways: Art of the Contemporary African Diaspora. Museum of African Art, New York. Snoeck Publishers.- Living in Indonesia 1997.- Manger, L. & Assal, M. 2006. Diasporas in and without Africa. The Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala.- Minty, Z. 2004. A Place Called Home: a contemporary art exhibition featuring artists from the South Asian diaspora. South Africa, Cape Town. One.- Nka: Contemporary Art Magazine. 2008. Duke University Press. 22/23. pg 38-39- Njami, S. 2003. Looking Both Ways: Art of the Contemporary African Diaspora – The Diaspora as object. Museum of African Art, New York. Snioeck Publishers. pg 145-152.- Peffer, J. 2003. Looking Both Ways: Art of the Contemporary African Diaspora – The Diaspora as object. Museum of African Art, New York. Snoeck Publishers. page. 22-36-