Giving Contours to Shadows

Giving Contours to Shadows is a research and exhibition project which takes its cue from the Glissantian concept that history, a “functional fantasy of the West,” cannot be left in the hands of historians only. In that sense, the project looks at ways, by which artists, curators and thinkers relate to their own epoch, to times past and to the drawing of prospective trajectories, thus weaving alternatives to established narratives. The exhibitions, performances and discussions took place in 2014 at n.b.k, SAVVY Contemporary, Gorki Theater and Gemäldegalerie. The project and publication uncovers, discovers and recovers narratives, memories, knowledge and other histories in the form of a thematic reader comprising a collection of essays and critical texts, as well as image and text material about the participating artists, and essentially covers the sections Performing and Embodying History, Wandering through History, Sequestrating History, Pre-Writing History.

With texts by Elena Agudio, Storm Janse van Rensburg, Premesh Lalu, Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Simon Njami, Tavia Nyong’o, Sarah Rifky, and Greg Tate