🔗 Share this article

After over fifty installments exploring the international Black diaspora, this signifies a concluding piece. The experience was incredibly gratifying, and immense thanks offered to all the engaged audience.

Inside the Accra Festival

Visiting the exhibitions, presentations and performances of this event, observers witness how exceptional art nourishes and shapes a country’s heritage and character. The highlight was without doubt the artist's exquisite a profound exploration of ritual and time, which displayed his pioneering afrogallonism for all to see: a philosophy that reimagines plastic containers into mesmerizing works of art, assemblages of golden hues. The display was created as a tribute to the strength of Jamestown, a venerable quarter of Accra.

Jamestown – largely home to the Ga people, a fishing community – is furthermore where numerous freed slaves came back from South America and made their home in the 19th century. Known as the Tabom community, they brought Brazilian language and customs.

All across Jamestown, visitors encounter a mix of architecture. There’s Fort Vicentia, boasting its distinct colonial-era brickwork and door arches. Another landmark is the prominent beacon, built in the 1800s and eventually sporting its distinctive striped appearance.

Traditions of Remembrance

Furthermore striking about Jamestown is the ubiquitous sight of funeral posters. Wherever you look, be it covering walls or on big hoardings, there are funeral details and expressions of loss. In Jamestown, similar to the rest of Ghana, funerals are major communal events.

In Clottey’s spectacular show, all of the visual and auditory essence of Jamestown are present – particularly in the enveloping beach-themed installation. Here, one is relaxed by the recording of ocean surf with granules underfoot, while shelters, hanging fishing nets and depictions of vessels celebrate its dynamic, long-standing seafaring tradition. But standing in this gallery, it's hard to ignore the piles of cast-off garments that mar the charm and tranquillity of the area.

Beyond the Headline Act

There is a great deal more. Housed in an unfinished structure at the University of Ghana, creator Sylvester presented a deeply moving minimalist collection, an incredibly moving, austere show that included sculptures and paintings made in collaboration with artisans.

And then there is the competition for female artists for female Ghanaian artists. It showcased the debut presentation of a prior laureate, whose work utilizes familial archival records to create a visual impression of life in post-independence Ghana. The event also honored a new champion, whose multidisciplinary work is particularly focused on the weaving practices of women in a specific region.

An Enduring Impact

While the diaspora has increasingly been pulled back to Ghana during the western winter, a growing cohort are thinking about travelling some months earlier to immerse themselves in the region’s artistic calendar. From Accra Cultural Week and regional art fairs, what you’ll find are art scenes that are not simply emerging or “rising” but have established an complete landscape that is here to stay.

Finally, the journey leaves one with a perception of Accra that feels like a statement for environmental protection and the keeping alive of culture. It is a powerful testament to resilience in all its expressions.