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After over 50 issues exploring the international Black diaspora, this marks a final column. The tenure has been deeply rewarding, with great thanks extended to all the engaged followers.

Inside the Cultural Week

Attending the showcases, installations and shows of Accra Cultural Week, one sees how superior art nourishes and constructs a country’s heritage and identity. The centrepiece was undoubtedly the artist's stunning [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which showcased his groundbreaking afrogallonism in full view: a philosophy that converts yellow jerrycans into illusory art pieces, tapestries of golden hues. The exhibition was created as a testament to the endurance of Jamestown, a venerable neighbourhood of Accra.

This area – mainly inhabited by the Ga people, a fishing community – is furthermore where numerous formerly enslaved people returned from South America and settled in the 19th century. Referred to as the Tabom, they carried with them Brazilian tongue and customs.

Throughout Jamestown, you can see a blend of building designs. Standing is Fort Vicentia, with its unique Portuguese masonry and curved entrances. Also present is the iconic beacon, erected in the 1871 and later featuring its recognizable red-and-white-striped exterior.

Customs of Mourning

Furthermore notable about Jamestown is the pervasive presence of obituary announcements. On every corner, whether plastered over walls or on sizable hoardings, you’ll see announcements and phrases of farewell. In Jamestown, as throughout Ghana, funerals are large-scale social gatherings.

In the artist's spectacular show, all of the visual and auditory essence of Jamestown are captured – notably in the immersive beach-themed piece. Within it, you’re soothed by the audio of crashing waves with sand at your feet, while shacks, hanging fishing nets and depictions of vessels pay homage to its dynamic, long-standing fishing community. However being present in this exhibition space, one cannot help but think of the mountains of textile waste that mar the beauty and serenity of the shoreline.

Apart from the Centrepiece

Accra Cultural Week also features additional highlights. Housed in an unfinished structure at the campus, creator Sylvester showcased On the Other Side of Languish, an incredibly moving, austere presentation that included three-dimensional works and artworks produced in collaboration with metalworkers.

Also featured was the Yaa Asantewaa Art prize for women artists of Ghanaian origin. It included the debut presentation of a prior winner, whose work utilizes historical documents to craft a depiction of life in post-independence Ghana. The event also honored a new champion, whose multidisciplinary work is intensely concerned with the weaving practices of women in the Volta region.

A Permanent Legacy

Although the overseas community has more and more been pulled back to west Africa during the colder season, an increasing number are thinking about travelling some months earlier to experience the area's festival period. Between this festival and regional art fairs, what is evident are creative communities that are not simply new or “rising” but have established an entire world that is here to stay.

Finally, the visit offers a perception of Accra that resembles a declaration for environmental protection and the preservation of heritage. It is a compelling testament to adaptability in all its manifestations.