Art and the Two Hard Problems: The Story of an African Collection
By Emile Stipp.
Part memoir, part art historical account of Stipp’s world-renowned collection of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, featuring full-color reproductions of artworks
In this illustrated memoir, collector Emile Stipp posits that a deep engagement with art can help us solve the two hard problems of human existence: consciousness and conscience. Having grown up under apartheid, Stipp lived through the transformation of South African society into a democracy. He came to regard art as a vehicle for social enlightenment, and began to amass a collection of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, with an emphasis on video art and photography. In Art and the Two Hard Problems, Stipp proposes a philosophical framework for understanding contemporary art through an in-depth discussion of artworks from his collection. Featured artists include David Goldblatt, Zanele Muholi, William Kentridge, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Serge Alain Nitegeka, Paul Mpagi Sepuya and Portia Zvavahera. South African CEO and collector Emile Stipp is known for his tireless promotion of local and international African art.
STATUS: Forthcoming | 11/24/2026
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Art and the Two Hard Problems: The Story of an African Collection
Published by Marquand Books. By Emile Stipp.
Part memoir, part art historical account of Stipp’s world-renowned collection of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, featuring full-color reproductions of artworks
In this illustrated memoir, collector Emile Stipp posits that a deep engagement with art can help us solve the two hard problems of human existence: consciousness and conscience. Having grown up under apartheid, Stipp lived through the transformation of South African society into a democracy. He came to regard art as a vehicle for social enlightenment, and began to amass a collection of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, with an emphasis on video art and photography.
In Art and the Two Hard Problems, Stipp proposes a philosophical framework for understanding contemporary art through an in-depth discussion of artworks from his collection. Featured artists include David Goldblatt, Zanele Muholi, William Kentridge, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Serge Alain Nitegeka, Paul Mpagi Sepuya and Portia Zvavahera.
South African CEO and collector Emile Stipp is known for his tireless promotion of local and international African art.
