KAMALA'S LESSON (2022)

Here is a little piece I wrote about artist Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq’s on the occasion of her exhibition "STATES OF ONENESS" at Serpentine South Gallery in London (7 October 2022 - 29 January 2023).

In her talk at The Royal College of Art (October 7, 2022), Hans Ulrich Obrist asked Kamala about her teaching experience in the Khartoum art school, where she was head of the Painting Department for two decades. Kamala described her method of teaching as «working together and learning from each other» [...]

PAUL FALL - "DIE BANANE IST NICHT GUT!" (2021)

In a previous  post, I explained « why curators eat artists ». To explain «why some curators can not eat artists», I need to tell you my Goethe Institute Banana Parable of January 2021.

"I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK-47" (2020)

This is an excerpt from Hassan Musa's commentary on his themed work " I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK-47".

Gauguin’s work inspired me when I started a new series of images entitled « I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK-47 ». An AK-47 (Automatic Kalashnikov 47) is not only a gun but it is also a symbol of armed Liberation movement in the colonies...

"A NASTY SHEEP STORY AT DAK'ART 2004!" [ARABIC] (2020)

In April 2021, my article "Une sale histoire de moutons à Dak’Art 2004!" (= A nasty sheep story at Dak'Art 2004!) was published in the second issue of ART versus SOCIÉTÉ thanks to Hervé Fischer and Magma International Journal.

WHO INVENTED AFRICANS?

Contemporary African art is not the art of the Africans. It is the art that Euro-Americans expect Africans to produce. An « Artafricanisme », an artificial political construction of the 20^th century, designed to fake cultural realities of Africa to the benefit of of the global market of contemporary culture. Meanwhile the Africans do not possess the necessary armes to stop this ethnic war machine advancing behind the mask of art. The only way out is to integrate the  « Artafricanisme » system with the intention to introduce the contradictions that might block the machinery. [...]

"THE MAKING OF SAINT BANANA"(2020)

Josephine Baker was created and used by the European intelligentsia as a figure of black womanhood as well as an icon of the « African Woman ». She took part in galas to finance French ethnographic expedition "Dakar - Djibouti" in Africa [...]

"CURATING THE TRUTH" (2020)

« Madam Sebastian » was part of my art installation project, in the collective exhibition "TOLD UNTOLD RETOLD" curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, in Doha (Qatar), in 2010. The title of my installation project was "The untold stories in the Arabian nights". It never happened.

WHAT IS CALLIGRAPHY? (2019)

The conventional definition of calligraphy limits itself to writings only. That is the reason why I called this online series MY CALLIGRAPHY. 

Back in May of 2019, I was contacted by the Art of Ink International Society to participate to an exhibition of contemporary calligraphy. As I happily accepted the invitation and sent 4 images of my calligraphy work, I received an answer from Ronald Nakasone, one of the organizers of this event...

"TO WHICH PAN-AFRICANISM DO YOU BELONG?"(2019)

The full version of the text I wrote for Chimurenga's publication entitled « Festac’77, decomposed, an-arranged and reproduced by Chimurenga, Misdirections in music by Ntone Edjabe ». A text that ended up being censored and re-written without my consent in the published version of the book.

"DANGERS OF SEEING"

The full version of the text I wrote to accompany my reflection around the I LOVE YOU WITH MY AK-47 artworks.