The Africa Institute is well-known in the art world for putting on exhibitions about African artists. It also has a school and takes in students. It has had shows at the Sharjah Art Foundation and in London's Serpentine Galleries. In the Financial Times story, three former employees of his company, Adjaye Associates, said that they had been assaulted or harassed by him. Adjaye denied the claims, saying, "These allegations are untrue, distressing for me and my family and run counter to everything I stand for." Adjaye Associates was chosen to create the Africa Institute's campus, which was to cover more than 31,000 m2 (343,000 square feet) and have a red building with parts that were seven stories high. Artists were supposed to be hired to make works that were made specifically for the school, which was also going to have a number of courtyards.
"The Africa Institute is deeply troubled by the recent allegations against David Adjaye, and we have decided to cancel the building project with Adjaye Associates," said Hoor Al Qasimi, president of the Africa Institute, in a statement. She went on to say, "Our decision won't change the Institute's strong study and education programs at its current locations. The Africa Institute is still as dedicated as ever to our fellows, faculty, and staff, and to our goal of training a new generation of critical thinkers in African and African diaspora studies and being a model of excellence in research, teaching, and documentation.
After the Financial Times article, the Africa Institute is not the only organization to cut ties with Adjaye Associates. The Studio Museum in Harlem broke up with Adjaye. His firm had been hired to plan a new building for the New York museum. Adjaye said, "I can't stand the thought that the accusations against me will hurt the museum and take attention away from it." In the meantime, Adjaye quit his job working on a memorial to the Holocaust for London. The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts, put off showing one of Adjaye's big works for an undetermined amount of time. But none of these projects were as big or as ambitious as the Africa Institute idea, which was first talked about three years ago. The work of Adjaye Associates can still be seen at the Museum of Modern Art and the Venice Architecture Biennale, among other places. The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi and the Princeton University Art Museum in New Jersey will also be designed by the company.
Jean Dubreil