Artnovation, in partnership with Hybrid Motors Nigeria Limited, is set to unveil The Bridge of Motion, the 17th work in its Thread of Continents series, during the Artnovation: Echoes of Renaissance in the Hues of Africa exhibition in Milan, Italy.
The unveiling is scheduled for September 16, 2026, during the opening ceremony at the Fondazione Luciana Matalon Museum. The presentation is expected to mark a new chapter in Artnovation’s continuing effort to deepen cultural and creative exchanges between Africa and Europe.
The Bridge of Motion explores the moment when “a thread becomes a bridge, and the bridge begins to move,” combining ideas around art, mobility, innovation, renewable energy and sustainable development.
According to Artnovation, the new work builds on the themes explored in the first 16 installations of the Thread of Continents series. Those works have examined issues such as memory, encounter, trade, exchange, cooperation, connection and the prospect of a shared future between Africa and Europe.
The decision to make the new installation the 17th work is also symbolic. It references the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and expands the artistic narrative into a broader conversation about how creativity can influence the future of mobility, energy, technology and international cooperation.
From Cultural Exchange to Future Innovation
Foluke Michael, Chief Curator of Artnovation, said the latest work represents an evolution of the series, taking its themes beyond cultural exchange to questions about the future.
“The journey does not end at sixteen. No. 17 carries the story towards a new horizon, where ideas gather momentum, possibilities take shape, and the future begins to move,” she said.
Michael explained that The Bridge of Motion should not be viewed simply as a work centred on a vehicle. Instead, it considers what mobility could mean when art and creativity intersect with renewable energy, sustainable development and technological innovation.
The concept draws inspiration from the Renaissance, an era historically associated with the convergence of art, science, engineering, philosophy and human imagination.
Through Echoes of Renaissance, Artnovation seeks to reinterpret that spirit for the 21st century, bringing African creativity into conversation with European design, technology and innovation.
The project also presents sustainable mobility and renewable energy as potential drivers of economic opportunity and development in Africa. At the same time, Europe’s transition towards cleaner technologies and its emphasis on international cooperation provide areas where the two regions could potentially collaborate.
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| Foluke Michael and Jubril Arogundade |
Founder of Hybrid Motors Nigeria Limited, Jubril Arogundade, said the partnership was intended to place mobility within a wider conversation involving art, culture, fashion, technology and innovation.
He said Hybrid Motors’ ambitions extend beyond vehicle development to include the creation of sustainable and indigenous mobility solutions suited to West Africa.
Arogundade added that the company was also exploring potential avenues for European technical, institutional and commercial cooperation, including discussions linked to areas associated with the EU Global Gateway.
These areas include sustainable transport and renewable energy, as well as access to European technology, expertise, institutional partnerships and sustainable financing.
According to him, the Milan unveiling could serve as the starting point for a broader Africa-Europe conversation on sustainable mobility, with art providing a platform for imagining new forms of innovation and cooperation.
Continuing the Africa-Europe Cultural Dialogue
The project builds on Artnovation’s previous Africa-Europe cultural engagement, including AfroItalian Renaissance, launched in partnership with the Italian Consulate General in Lagos in December 2025.
The Echoes of Renaissance in the Hues of Africa exhibition will officially open at 5:00 p.m. CEST on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at Fondazione Luciana Matalon, Foro Buonaparte 67, Milan.
The exhibition, alongside its fashion programme and related dialogues, will be open to the public from September 17 to 29, 2026.
The programme is expected to bring together art, fashion, poetry, culture, innovation and enterprise around a broader question: what new possibilities can emerge when Africa and Europe collaborate in shaping the future?
For Artnovation, The Bridge of Motion embodies that possibility. It presents culture as a pathway into innovation and positions collaboration between Africa and Europe as a potential platform for sustainable development, technological progress and shared opportunity.