Ghana’s contemporary art landscape received a major boost as blaxTARLINES, an organisational network that has long maintained ties to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has made a significant leap in ArtReview’s 2025 Power 100, rising to No. 69 from No. 81 last year.

The list, regarded as one of the most influential barometers of global contemporary art, recognises individuals and collectives shaping artistic discourse, institutional change and cultural production worldwide.

blaxTARLINES, rooted in Ghana’s vibrant university art ecosystem and historically connected to the KNUST Department of Painting and Sculpture and the College of Art and Built Environment, was celebrated for its role as an “organisational network and incubator for art in Ghana.”

The collective has become known for pioneering alternative art spaces, expanding curatorial practice, and nurturing emerging artists through collaborative exhibitions, social-engagement projects and experimental learning platforms.

Its ranking places it among globally recognised art collectives such as Forensic Architecture (No. 9), the influential research agency investigating human rights violations; CAMP (No. 51), known for reshaping art infrastructures; and the Cercle D’Art Des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (No. 82), acknowledged for pursuing practical, real-world social change.

For years, blaxTARLINES has served as a training ground for young artists emerging from KNUST, offering them exhibition opportunities and critical exposure at international platforms.