Erika Dalya Massaquoi

Erika’s work on DISGUISE reflects her practice at the intersection of contemporary art, cinema, and emergent technology. The premise of the exhibition was to contextualize the Seattle Art Museum’s world-renowned African mask collection for contemporary audiences, bridging historical traditions with the creative energies of today’s global artists.

Drawing on her background in film and new media (Ph.D., Cinema/New Media, NYU) and her commitment to emergent technologies and audience-centered storytelling, Erika reimagined the museum experience to create a deeper, more sensory connection to the art. Disguise merged tradition with innovation—blending performance, sound, and visual culture into a dynamic, transformative exhibition.

Through her leadership as Consultant Curator at the Seattle Art Museum, DISGUISE transformed the galleries into spaces filled with inventive avatars and provocative new myths, created by contemporary artists from Africa and the African diaspora. Visitors embarked on mysterious journeys through city streets, futuristic landscapes, and imagined realms, engaging directly with immersive environments enhanced by cinematic and digital media strategies.

Influenced by her expertise in product and brand management, Erika also spearheaded a pioneering approach to social and experiential marketing for the exhibition. By optimizing customer obsession and feedback mechanisms, she helped reframe museum engagement as a dynamic, participatory experience, establishing DISGUISE as a model for audience-driven innovation in the museum sector.

The scholarship behind the exhibition culminated in Disguise: Masks and Global African Art, co-edited by Erika Dalya Massaquoi and published by Yale University Press.

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