“How do you know I’m real? I’m not real. I’m just like you! […] So we’re both myths. I do not come to you as a reality.
I come to you as the myth […] I came from a dream that the Black man dreamed a long time ago. I am actually a presence
sent to you by your ancestors.”
~ Sun Ra, Space is the Place, 1974
Across time, societies across the African continent have existed with fluid and manifold understandings of gender and sexuality. That was, before various colonial influences brought forth restrictive binaries and social norms. However, dear reader, that is not what this is about.
As I write this, I am pulled more towards my recollections of contemporary African LGBTQ+ communities and creatives – some of whom I have been privileged enough to know throughout my life. Together, as they continue to bear witness to one other, they carry forward these original histories and birthright. With this comes an awareness of boundless possibility:
What could the world become for all of us? If we were to finally live in it together?
In his film Space is the Place, the African American jazz musician Sun Ra explores said motifs for us. In turn, I also draw from this well of Afrofuturistic elements- or, in his own words what Ra described as mediums that deliver knowledge to us from more advanced realms. Timelines where humanity has already transcended the limitations of the present. Particularly this fate motif- the relentless knock of humanity’s destiny on our doors.
While critiquing the social realities of the 20th and 21st century, perhaps such artistic révolutionnaires offer us hopes for futures free from oppression. Queer futures disrupting today’s static relations with time. After all, progressive knowledge, cultures, and ideas have already existed in some form and are only waiting to be remembered and accessed.
The works in this exhibition highlight how queerness remains a deeply embedded, evolving facet of African life. Whether it is from simply creating chosen families or building networks of solidarity, of celebration and innovation. What we bear witness to here are not just acts of remembering; they are acts of becoming and gestures toward futures that honor the complexities of our internal and external worlds as humans. That dear reader, is what this is about: not re-invention but continuity. To honor what has always been while daring to dream of what could be.
Text: Amy Muhoro
Kaniz Sheikh
Work title: Ninga, 2024
An ongoing collaborative project titled “Proud” featuring the beautiful members of the diverse
Kenyan Queer Community.
Demola Mako
Work title: The Fola Francis Ball in Lagos, 2024
These works are the artist’s archives of the Fola Francis Ball which was a celebration of Nigeria’s LGBTQ+ community held during Pride Month to honor the late Fola Francis who contributed immensely to fashion culture in Lagos as well as queer advocacy. The ball which was held in an entrancing neo-goth backdrop, featured fashion performances and voguing competitions. Around the world, Ballroom has and continues to provide safe spaces for self-expression especially in countries where LGBTQ+ identities remain criminalized.
Kabi Kimari
Work title: The Space(s) Between Time, 2024
Description: This work is about the discomfort that comes with change. The feeling of lostness when old patterns are no longer working for/with you. The trust necessary to keep walking even when the road ahead of you is dark. The feeling of being in a transitional space in ‘time’.
Qamar Abden
Work title: Untitled, 2024
Description: This text is meant to have you ponder upon the perception and perspective of the self and the world around/within us. It us meant to allow you to step in the spectrum and witness it. Yourself and the art around you will walk you through the journey. Thank you for taking the time to truly look
Exhibition installations: Amy Muhoro, Allan Kirui, Ifeoma Ukwuoma
Accompanying Events: Curatorial Tour (English) 6th December at 2PM
Production: Afrykamera Festival 2024
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