FOR WHOM?
Event for adults.
ACCESSIBILITY
More information: dostepnosc@ethnomuseum.pl; tel. 502 955 534 (text messages too).
ABOUT EVENT
Felwine Sarr, in his book “Afrotopia” wrote: „The current debates about Africa are dominated by this double movement: a faith in a brilliant future and a consternation when confronted with a seemingly chaotic present fraught with a number of different convulsions.” The subject of the debate will be a multi-faceted reflection on art, especially photography, created by artists of African descent. As part of the debate, moderated by Max Cegielski, the curators of the “Afrotopias ” exhibition – Amy Muhoro, Malaika Nabila, and Witek Orski – will talk about the works shown at the State Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw. They will also set them in a broader context – between euphoria and consternation. Accordingly, such processes as an evolving visual sensitivity, and attitude to one’s customs, spirituality, and cultural practices will resound in the debate. In addition, the curators will show the work of artists in a systemic context, drawing attention to the paradoxes associated with capitalism or the relationship with nature in the era of its degradation and in the face of an impending climate catastrophe.
The event is part of a public program accompanying the “Afrotopias” exhibition at the State Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw.
GUESTS
Amy N. Muhoro is a Kenyan multidisciplinary artist, cultural researcher, and exhibition curator. Her work focuses on the intersections of history and culture and the role they have played in people’s lives throughout history. Using and combining a variety of media, she primarily examines the impact of globalization on the history of communities, communication systems, and contemporary identities, particularly on the African continent and in African diasporas. She works with local communities to highlight voices that are often overlooked or marginalized in mainstream discourse. Her work has been exhibited at Creatives Garage Arts Trust and the Goethe Institut (Nairobi, Kenya), as well as at the Museum of Modern Art (Warsaw), the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, and the WRO Art Center (Wrocław).
Malaika Nabila is a visual artist from Togo, author of cultural projects and curator of exhibitions. Among other projects, she is a co-founder of the Togo Yeye project, which aims to create works that empower Togolese youth, document their activities, and support creative communities in Togo and the diaspora. As part of the Blacklines project, she develops traditional West African textile dyeing techniques such as batik, indigo, and bogolan. Nabila’s mission is to protect the locality of traditional textile production while preserving the rich cultural heritage and supporting the economic development of her country. Malaika Nabila has participated in the organization of festivals and residencies in Lomé, Togo, and Lagos, Nigeria.
Witek Orski is a visual artist, photographer and exhibition curator. Author of photos, installations and objects. For him, artistic practice is a space for research and philosophical inquiry. His field of interest includes the social and political functions of photography and its status in visual culture. For him, the medium of exhibition itself is an important tool – he often arranges series of works into complex visual essays. Orski graduated in philosophy from the University of Warsaw. He obtained his PhD from the University of the Arts in Poznań. He lectures at the Łódz Film School.
HOST
Max Cegielski is a writer, journalist and researcher of intercultural relations. Author and curator of artistic projects and exhibitions, member of the board of Unia Literacka. His first travel book is „Masala” (2002). For „Oko świata. Od Konstantynopola do Stambułu” (2009) received the Beata Pawlak’s Literature Prize. He recently published the novels „Prince Polonia” (2020) and „Nazywam się Chogori” (2022) and the essay „Kongo w Polsce. Włóczęgi z Josephem Conradem” (2023). He co-hosted „Hala Odlotów” on TVP Kultura, awarded with the Grand Press, and „Xięgarnia” on TVN24, honored with the award of the Polish Chamber of Books.
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