During her tenure, Givon showcased and supported the careers of such artists as Willie Bester, William Kentridge, Sam Nhlengethwa, and Sue Williamson. In addition to launching one of the most prominent art galleries worldwide, she was a tireless advocate for the arts and culture, serving on committees, raising funds, and advocating for artists. Linda Givon will be missed, but her memory will live on in the museum’s collections in the whimsical sculpture by Johannes Mashego Segogela in which the artist depicted himself seated at a table opposite the legendary gallerist.

Connections between African and Asian spaces have defined cultural identities and expressions across centuries. This symposium considered the dynamic locations, unique objects, and remarkable individuals whose stories evidence a radical realignment of historic power structures and axes of travel, growth, and exchange. Papers ranged from antiquity to the present with an emphasis on art and material culture.

Watch the entire three day session here

The symposium was co-organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art and National Museum of Asian Art, the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.