Virtual Tour of Yinka Shonibare’s Sanctuary City
Join the Rose Art Museum for a virtual exploration of Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary, the U.S. debut of the British Nigerian artist’s powerful and immersive installation, Sanctuary City (2024). The installation consists of eighteen scaled-down replicas of historical and contemporary buildings from across the globe that have served as places of refuge for persecuted and vulnerable groups and individuals. Dr. Gannit Ankori, Rose Director and Chief Curator, in conversation with Pauline Forlenza, Director and CEO of the American Federation of Arts, will offer detailed analyses of the installation and explore its symbolic components. Ankori and Forlenza will also discuss how the artwork challenges us to confront our responsibilities to one another and to recognize every person’s basic need for shelter and a safe haven. While pointing to global history, Shonibare’s installation makes an urgent call for action today and into the future.
ABOUT THE PANELIST
Pauline Forlenza is the Director and CEO of the American Federation of Arts (AFA). As director, Forlenza focuses on increasing the number of exhibitions available to museums and audiences nationwide, bringing more art to more people, in alignment with the AFA's mission. Exhibitions organized during her tenure have ranged from under-recognized, major-collection presentations to those featuring artists and art movements previously omitted from the Western canon. Recent highlights include: Willie Birch: Stores to Tell (2026–2029); Abstract Expressionists: The Women (2025–2027); Past Forward: Native American Art from the Gilcrease Museum (2024–2025); and Black Refractions: Highlights from the Studio Museum in Harlem (2019–2021). She holds a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College, City University of New York. She is a member of ArtTable, a national organization for professional women in the arts; serves on the board of the Art Bridges Foundation; and frequently participates in panels, talks, and public forums.
This program is held in conjunction with the exhibition, Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary, February 11, 2026–January 3, 2027.