Talking Objects Lab: Ré-imaginer le passé

“Ré-imaginer le passé – Une utopie de vivre ensemble dans la différence” (English: Reimagining the Past) begins with the imaginary as a means of rethinking reality. Against the backdrop of the consequences of colonialism, the project proposes a future from a precolonial perspective to open our eyes to a different understanding, different narratives and different conceptual approaches. In order to shift our focus from the “colonial library” to a “precolonial library” (Felwine Sarr), artists and researchers, most of whom come from the African continent, the diaspora and Europe, will collaborate and theorise together in “LABoratoires”. They are invited to explore the poetic power of artistic practice and imagination and performatively experiment with other media, aesthetics and formats.

“Ré-imaginer le passé” is both a laboratory and exhibition project. The German-Senegalese curatorial team, comprised of El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, Mahret Ifeoma Kupka, Isabel Raabe and Ibou C. Diop, will begin by staging labs in Dakar and in digital space. In lectures, workshops and artistic interventions, the labs will offer participants the chance to experiment with media and formats and develop new artistic works. The multidisciplinary researchers Ariella Aïsha Azoulay (Providence), Nikita Dhawan (Dresden), Souleymane Bachir Diagne (New York/Dakar) and Felwine Sarr (Washington/Dakar) will be working together with the participating artists. The productions and research activities will culminate in exhibitions at the Musée Théodore Monod in Dakar and the KINDL Center for Contemporary Art in Berlin. A publication by Transcript Verlag will highlight and document the LABoratoires and the exhibitions.

Curatorial team: El Hadji Malick Ndiayde, Mahret Ifeoma Kupka, Isabel Raabe, Ibou C. Diop
Artists: Viyé Diba, Nathalie Anguezomo Mba Bikoro, Mansour Ciss Kanakassy, Uriel Orlow, Elsa M’Bala, Ibrahima Thiam, Caroline Gueye and others
LABoratoires with Ariella Aïcha Azoulay, Nikita Dhawan, Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Felwine Sarr and the above mentioned artists

International dates

LABoratoire Musée Théodore Monod, Dakar: May 2023, LABoratoire online: August 2023
Exhibition: Musée Théodore Monod, Dakar: 3 Nov. – 30 Dec. 2023, KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art, Berlin: 15 Mar. – 19 Jul. 2024