Our top international art picks this week: the dark and troubled history of the British Empire

Plus: a new look at African design and how Tokyo influenced Yoko Ono.

Indian Artist, Delhi - Mahadaji Sindhia entertaining a British naval officer and military officer with a Nautch. Courtesy British Library

A design for an emerging African continent

An exhibition in Bilbao examines the emergence of modern design in Africa. Examples of furniture, fashion, architecture, film, urban planning, art, photography and more are on display. The exhibition does not seek to present a complete picture of design across the continent of 54 nations. But it forges a link to the middle of the 20th century when a younger generation celebrated the end of colonialism. Pieces from this time are shown alongside more recent works. Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design runs at the Guggenheim Bilbao until February 21. For more information visit www.guggenheim.org/bilbao

Yoko Ono’s relationship with her native city

Yoko Ono is forever associated with her marriage to John Lennon. But she was a talented artist in her own right, and this show places her firmly in the context of her native Tokyo. The exhibition attempts to reveal how her work connects avant-garde and popular culture. One of Ono's most respected works is Grapefruit, an important book of conceptual art published in 1964 after a long residency in Tokyo. The typewritten drafts for the work are on display here, along with a rare first edition. Yoko Ono: From My Window runs at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, Japan, until February 14. For more information visit www.mot-art-museum.jp

Dark past of the British Empire told through art

The British Empire's legacy of conquest, war and economic exploitation is still with us today – just look at the long and troubled path to an uneasy peace in Northern Ireland. An exhibition in London brings together a vast collection of works – maps, portraits, artworks, sculptures and artefacts – from the 16th century until today. Epic 19th century battles at Omdurman and Khartoum are recalled, along with artistic responses to the Indian rebellion of 1857. One of the more striking pieces is a collection of West African carvings of British colonial officers. Artist and Empire runs at Tate Britain until April 10. For more information visit www.tate.org.uk