銆€銆€LONDON, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Britain's premier art institution, the Tate Gallery, announced on Thursday that it would expand its horizons beyond Europe and North America and would focus more on Africa in its collections and exhibitions.

銆€銆€The Gallery's director Sir Nicholas Serota said the idea behind the change was that there was now "no single center to the art world."

銆€銆€Africa had been considered "a periphery area, on the margins" until recently, he said.

銆€銆€"Currently we spend about 4 to 5 million pounds (about 6.4 to 8 million U.S. dollars) each year on acquisitions. In future about 40 percent of this will be spent on buying art from outside Europe and North America," said Serota.

銆€銆€The failure of Western art institutions like Tate, the Pompidou Center in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, to take notice of art outside Europe and North America during the 1960s and 1970s was a mistake, said Serota.

銆€銆€As part of its African focus, Tate also unveiled a major exhibition for the summer of 2013 at its Tate Modern gallery, on the banks of the River Thames in central London.

銆€銆€"Ibrahim El-Salahi: A Visionary Modernist" will be the first major exhibition of Sudanese artist El-Salahi in Britain, bringing together over 100 of his works during more than five decades of his international career.

銆€銆€El-Salahi, aged 82, is one of the most significant figures in African and Arab modernism.

銆€銆€Another exhibition will show the works of 51-year-old Benin artist Meschac Gaba.