The project
The exhibition-programme Eu sou um Oceano negro draws its inspiration from Maya
Angelou's poem Still I Rise, exploring the deep connections between individuals and
cultures on both sides of the Atlantic. Angelou's ocean-matrix is also the in-common
that connects and links, engulfing in its path the reflections of images refracted and
distorted by the surface of the water. Afro-descendant and African artists from Brazil, the West Indies, Benin, Cameroon, etc come together to form a circle of healing, liberation and wonder.
Through the medium of performance and their respective artistic practices, the very
format of the "exhibition" space is being questioned. Beyond the staging of (art)
objects, we are invited to enter a temple-circle. The works are activated by a
programme of performative artistic interventions, and our Ariadne's thread is immaterial: a continuous piano improvisation that adapts and resonates with the life of theexhibition. A lively, engaging space for transmission and healing. The exhibition is
conceived as a fluid journey, where each work and performance engages visitors in a
continuous interaction. Participants are encouraged to immerse themselves in the
installations, take part in the performances and engage in dialogue with the artists,
creating a space for shared reflection.
The Temple
The artists invite you to enter into an Atlantic in-common, a process of healing and
transmission nourished by the Afro-ecofeminist commitment of the artists who lead it.
The idea of the trace and the itinerary replaces the rooting of beings and things in a
single land with the recognition that everything happens in the form of passage.
Through an original collaborative artistic creation, visitors are invited to take part in a
transformative experience, rethinking their place in the world and their relationship with
others.
The Temple is a place for performances, meetings and
communions, but also, in its quieter moments, for meditation
and contemplation, thanks to the works installed.
It's a space in constant flux, in perpetual transformation
according to the actions of the artists: one day an installation or
a participatory performance, another day a screening or a
discussion, another a workshop or a collaborative ritual... The
keystone of this collective programming remains at its centre
the piano, a tool of vibratory and mystical transcendence.
This Temple adapts organically to each place where it finds a
home, so from La Rochelle to Salvador, there are already 2
different versions of the same Temple from which exchanges
with local artists will emerge.