The Expert Panel convened again for its 7th meeting in May 2021.
Present: Ebenezer Acquah, Ghana; Paul-Henri Souvenir Assako Assako, Cameroon; Patrique deGraft-Yankson, Ghana; Stefan Eisenhofer, Germany; Osuanyi Essel, Ghana; Mary Claire Akinyi Kidenda, Kenya; Bea Lundt, Germany; Avi Sooful, South Africa; Bernadette Van Haute, South Africa; Ernst Wagner, Germany
Minutes
Welcome to all participants by Avi Sooful, chair. A warm welcome to Patrique deGraft-Yankson who has joined the expert panel.
Avi Sooful nominated Ernst Wagner as the Secretary of the Expert Panel. The participants agree with this proposal.
The agenda is accepted.
Exhibition Collective Memory: This project is in process towards the September deadline. Avi Sooful (5 works from her university plus 10 more from 2 more universities), Ebenezer Acquah (works by students have been received), Mary Clare Kidenda (work is in progress, 3 works are already delivered), Ernst (in progress), Paul Assako Assako (a selection will be made at a monthly workshop on Friday). The exhibition will go online in September. A joint look at all the contributions by the committee (suggested by Paul) will take place beforehand.
Feedback on the book “Visual Cultures of Africa” (Mary Clare Kidenda): The reviewing process will commence at the end of this week, a request for more volunteers as reviewers was raised.
Contributions to the link- and news-sections of the website www.explore-vc.org was requested so as to make and keep the project sustainable, greater participation by all partners are encouraged. Also, contributions from partner institutions can be included so as to broaden the scope of information on the website. (Mary Clare Kidenda will approach other universities in Kenya, Patrique deGraft-Yankson will approach design organizations [e.g. Design Ghana].) All are invited to participate in this endeavor.
For additional participation by academics in the objects-section, an invitational letter will be drafted by Avi Sooful and Ernst Wagner so that individuals who are not on the expert panel may be invited to participate. The Cape Town Model will be used as a template for the drafting of the letter.
Update re documenta-fifteen and the situation at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. The EVC project has no future at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich after February 15th, 2022. Ernst Wagner is working on a transfer of the Project to the University of Augsburg and on funding of a Summer School in Kassel, August 2022.
Avi Sooful introduces the idea of a conference in South Africa in October 2022. Topic: How are we looking at the topic of decoloniality and the challenges through COVID in education of children / youth and artists. 60 – 80 participants will be invited.
Bea Lundt is planning an additive project about collective memory: It will present 20 objects from older African traditions (for example the Benin Bronzes) – elaborated together with students from Winneba (classes in History, Arts education and German Language). This project will take place in cooperation with the Merian-Institute (MIAS) in Accra. (An interesting ‘Interculture workshop’ will take place there from September to December 2021: www.ug.edu.gh/mias-africa/ and www.ug.edu.gh/mias-africa/node/1.)
Bea Lundt also informed about her book-project “Gender in Visual Culture Africa-Europe”: 17 chapters - including one chapter from the West Indies - are promised. More contributions are welcome.
Osuanyi Essel suggested that we critique exhibitions in and outside Africa and link these discussions with the project. Currently, there is an ongoing exhibition in Amsterdam about slavery. Reviews or comments about such exhibitions (as a mental image) and how they speak to our project could be written. Osuanyi Essel is invited to write a first (pilot-)contribution for the objects-section on the website.
Date of the next meeting: June 29