Artistic Encounters and Strauhof Zurich
Strauhof and the Litar Foundation are dedicating the exhibition trilogy “litafrika” (2022–2024) to literatures from the African continent. The first exhibition “Poetries of a Continent”, based on the anthology “Afrika im Gedicht” (Zurich 2015) by the Swiss literary mediator Al Imfeld, stages a selection of exemplary poems in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic from postcolonial classics to the current slam and spoken word scene.
The second exhibition came about after I visited “Poetries of a Continent” and wrote “Artistic Encounters” which features eight scenes from contemporary African literatures. In it I stage encounters between current novels and performance, music or visual art. Across national and linguistic borders, the exhibition sheds light on a generation of writers who are well connected and internationally active. As a continuation of “Poetries of a Continent” (2022), I put the emphasis on novels instead of poems, focal points instead of abundance – and above all on the diverse stories of younger authors instead of the postcolonial classics: what topics do contemporary literary figures deal with today? How do artists stage the selected passages?
The selected artists and texts are;
- Ishmael Beah (Sierra Leone): Radiance of Tomorrow (2014) x
Shaffik Manzi (Rwanda): visual artist - Virgília Ferrão (b. 1986, Mozambique): Os Nossos Feitiços (2022) x
Jussara Camble (São Tomé and Príncipe): actress - Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (Nigeria): Season of Crimson Blossoms (2015) x
Zikhona Sodlaka (South Africa): actress - Angela Makholwa (South Africa): Critical But Stable (2021) x
Michael Soi (Kenya): visual artist - Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Uganda): The First Woman (2020) x
Ntombephi Ntobela (South Africa): visual artist - Yara Nakahanda Monteiro (Angola): Essa Dama Bate Bue (2018) x
Zubz the Last Letter (Zambia): musician - Fiston Mwanza Mujila (DR Congo): Tram 83 (2014) x
Prudence Katomeni (Zimbabwe): musician - Ondjaki (Angola): Os Transparentes (2012) x
Seeretse (Botswana): musician
The exhibition can be viewed in Zurich from June 16 until September 03, 2023. Please click here for more information.