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In the wake of over 50 installments navigating the global Black diaspora, this represents a last piece. The journey was profoundly fulfilling, and sincere thanks offered to all the dedicated audience.

Inside Accra Cultural Week

Visiting the displays, artworks and performances of Accra Cultural Week, one sees how exceptional art feeds and builds a nation's past and character. The highlight was undoubtedly Clottey's stunning [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which put his groundbreaking afrogallonism for all to see: a approach that transforms water vessels into mesmerizing works of art, mosaics of metallic tones. The exhibition was conceived as a homage to the strength of Jamestown, a venerable neighbourhood of Accra.

This area – predominantly populated by the Ga people, a fishing community – is also where many returning Africans came back from South America and established themselves in the 1830s. Referred to as the Tabom, they brought Brazilian language and traditions.

All across Jamestown, visitors encounter a blend of building designs. Standing is Fort Vicentia, with its distinct Portuguese masonry and arched doorways. Another landmark is the prominent Jamestown Lighthouse, constructed in the 1871 and subsequently sporting its recognizable red-and-white-striped facade.

Customs of Mourning

Equally notable about Jamestown is the pervasive sight of obituary announcements. On every corner, whether covering walls or on sizable signboards, there are funeral details and expressions of farewell. In Jamestown, mirroring customs in Ghana, funerals are major communal events.

In this impressive show, all of the sensory and spiritual landscape of Jamestown are captured – especially in the engaging beach-themed installation. In this space, you’re soothed by the recording of crashing waves with sand underfoot, while shacks, draped nets and representations of canoes pay homage to its dynamic, multigenerational seafaring tradition. Yet experiencing this exhibition space, it's hard to ignore the mountains of textile waste that compromise the charm and serenity of the shoreline.

In Addition to the Centrepiece

Accra Cultural Week also features a great deal more. Inside an unfinished structure at the local university, creator Reginald Sylvester II showcased a deeply moving minimalist collection, an incredibly moving, minimalist presentation that featured three-dimensional works and canvases created in collaboration with artisans.

And then there is the competition for female artists for female Ghanaian artists. It included the debut presentation of a recent recipient, whose work utilizes familial archival records to craft a artistic representation of life in post-independence Ghana. The event also crowned a latest champion, whose multidisciplinary work is deeply invested in the craft techniques of women in a specific region.

An Enduring Presence

While the global African community has increasingly been drawn back to west Africa during the western winter, a growing cohort are contemplating journeying for the cultural season to engage with the area's artistic calendar. From Accra Cultural Week and similar gatherings, what is evident are art scenes that are not simply emerging or “rising” but have forged an complete world that is here to stay.

Ultimately, the visit offers a perception of Accra that serves as a declaration for conservation and the safeguarding of tradition. It is a powerful homage to adaptability in all its forms.