The Museum of African Design (MOAD), Johannesburg, South Africa has opened its doors to the public, with the museum looking to create a pan-African cultural hub and connect the city’s existing art and design archives.

The museum was created with the aim of challenging some of the problems facing African design and society at large and exhibit design pieces from across the continent.

Located in the country’s innovative Maboneng Precinct – South Africa’s first arts and design neighbourhood – the museum is owned by Propertuity Pty, which is also responsible for the development of the precinct area.

The attraction will work as a cultural hub, rather than a collecting institution, and devote itself to exploring the ever-changing African continent and diaspora.

Through portraying itself as a progressive space seeking to challenge the current perceptions of museums, MOAD will look to promote some of the most forward-thinking ideas from the region and bring them into an international context.

Entrance to the museum’s exhibitions is free, with current displays including the Southern Guild Annual Showcase, which features 200 works from more than 100 of South Africa’s leading designers and artists.