For his first solo exhibition in the UK titled Fragments, Ibrahim Mahama has
made, among other things, a colossal structure called Non Orientale Nkansas
made of cobbler’s boxes that have been broken down and reassembled.
This continues his investigation into the life cycle of materials which I first came
across at Saatchi Gallery’s “Pangaea” exhibition in 2014, a broad survey of art
from Africa and Latin America.
Of the many works from such a diverse group of artist, Mahama’s installation
stood even farther afield on account of being simple and imposing in a huge dim-
lit space with its walls draped with jute sacks.
Several physical factors—ambience, contrast of one’s size to the high-ceilinged
space, how unadorned it was (despite being a drape)—combined to make the
work impressionable.
Ghana is the world’s second largest producer of cocoa and these jute sacks, made
in Southeast Asia, are used to transport the produce, after which its use
multiplies to include storing and transporting grains, and other utilities.
The works for Pangaea were untitled or called “untitled.” Three years later and
on show at White Cube, the newer ones have distinct names – Gemtun Boxe and
Issaka Bob – less imposing than the previous ones, but no less impressive.Other works include a wall of birth certificates and a 15 minute video installation
of his collaborators as they execute the tasking job of stitching together and
covering with sacks Ghana’s National Theatre.
These are busy times for Mahama and as if to further illustrate this point, our
scheduled interview had to be moved hours later as he had to respond to an
emergency to do with his work at Documenta in Athens (which opened on April
8th) and which has become his base outside Ghana.
His work in Athens deals with the nuances of his practice and opens up his
production process to the public by producing in Syntagma Square. He attempts
to draw a relationship between spaces in Athens which are either functional or
dysfunctional.
As an interviewee, Mahama is very engaging. He listens patiently even when
questions are rambled and is articulate and generous with his answers. It’s as if
he’s keeping control precisely by ceding it to the interviewer. This, to me, is the
self assurance possessed by a person who is at ease with what he knows, as he is
with what he’s investigation.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
Your first UK solo exhibition Fragments in London opened in March and then
there’s Documenta in Athens in April and your PHD and more. Are you typically
this busy?
I’m really looking forward to that time when I’ll have some peace but I don’t
think it’s possible now. I’m working to create this kind of space for myself so atleast when I eventually go back to Ghana, in a couple of months to settle back
down, I will travel as less as I can so at least I can do more things back home.
Two years ago at 27 you exhibited at the Venice Biennale and at Saatchi
Gallery in London as part of Pangaea. Two year later at 29 you’re having solo
exhibitions at a prestigious galleries. Has this art world been all embracing or
has there been opposition?
The art world has been embracing as well as a difficult one to navigate. What
keeps me sane is my independent practice. At the end of the day, no matter the
number of institutional shows you are invited to participate in, that is what keeps
your practice alive. I must also admit it has been a bit overwhelming but I’ve been
very fortunate in the art world.
Anyways I had a very good training in Art school ‘K.N.U.S.T Kumasi’ and that
accounts for everything i have done so far. The age factor has been demystified
now—all an artist needs is to develop his/her ideas and propose new experiences
as well as the aesthetics.