Matthias Krings

Prof. Matthias Krings is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology and African Popular Culture at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. His research focuses on popular culture, media anthropology, and the intersection of race, disability, and religion in African contexts. He specializes in West Africa (Nigeria) and East Africa (Tanzania), examining themes like digital media transformations, cultural entrepreneurship, and global music movements such as Afrobeats.

Notable projects include organizing the 2023 International Conference on Afrobeats in Lagos and the 2022 workshop on orality and cinema in Kenya. He has authored influential books like African Appropriations (2015) and co-edited volumes on Global Nollywood and Bongo Media Worlds. His work bridges ethnographic fieldwork with interdisciplinary perspectives on media, globalization, and social marginalization.

Key research outputs span conferences, books, and edited collections addressing topics from albinism stigma to digital cultural production. Krings collaborates internationally, emphasizing transnational cultural dynamics and the evolving role of media in contemporary African societies.