The True Size of Africa addresses the ways in which the continent continues to be underestimated in both its geographic scope and its significance for world history, despite its prehistorical role as the birthplace of humankind.

The exhibition tests approaches that identify traditions of thought, prejudices and stereotypes and enable new perspectives — by means of cultural history and contemporary art, through constant changes of perspective and artistic polyphony.

"The central idea of this exhibition structure is a methodical reversal of perspective. Industrial modernity, which has repeatedly darkened Europe, meets a multifaceted, illuminating African culture," says Dr Ralf Beil, General Director of the World Heritage Völklinger Hütte and curator of the exhibition.

Major artworks from recent decades are paired with numerous sound and spatial installations realised especially for the show by artists from Africa and the global diaspora. These include Carrie Mae Weems, William Kentridge, Roméo Mivekannin, Yinka Shonibare, Kara Walker and Omar Victor Diop.

“We are presenting new stories from Africa to counter the grand, often idealized narrative of Western civilization — stories that offer us a mirror for self-examination and self-awareness,” Beil notes.

The location is the world's only completely preserved ironworks from the heyday of industrialization and the first industrial monument of this era to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.