The Africa Center is pleased to present ‘Except this time nothing returns from the ashes’, the North-American premiere of the short film and exhibition by East African artists Asmaa Jama (United Kingdom/Somalia) and Gouled Ahmed (Ethiopia).
Asmaa Jama and Gouled Ahmed. Except this time nothing returns from the ashes, 2023. Film Still. Courtesy of Africa Center.
Inspired by African photography masters such as Samuel Fosso, Malick Sidibé and Seidou Keïta, paralleled with an exploration of Jama and Ahmed’s personal family archives, ‘Except this time nothing returns from the ashes’ invites viewers through a journey of self-expression, that is at once political and historical, fictional and intimate. Through a poetic narrative, spoken word and music, the work investigates how personal identity and collective narratives are both constructed and corrupted by technologies that determine who is remembered and who is forgotten as the historical canon is formed.
Shot on location in Addis Ababa in 2022, the film follows the ghostly, glitchy presences of individuals who exist in the margins of a city. Developed from Jama and Ahmed’s interactions with their families’ photographic collections and archives, ‘Except this time nothing returns from the ashes’ opens a portal to memory for those who have been systematically rendered peripheral. For the artists, self-portraiture becomes an act of resisting erasure, demonstrating the power of photography and the archive to remember and to force retrospection and reflection.
‘Except this time nothing returns from the ashes’ is presented in an octagonal structure, an interpretation of the photo studio, creating a space that insulates the viewer. The patterns and colours are an homage to those found across East Africa’s built environment, many of which are also found in the film, questioning Jama and Ahmed’s personal desire for resurrection, memorialisation, and a tangible inheritance.
In the back perimeter, the installation Hold my sight comprises a text painted in black directly on the wall underlined with charcoal powder. This is a more direct reference to ashes, through which Jama explores the notion of aftermath and excavating the past through ruins.
‘Except this time nothing returns from the ashes’ was co-commissioned by and first presented at Spike Island, Bristol, United Kingdom in 2023, with the support of Arts Council England. The presentation at The Africa Center is co-produced with Zarina Rossheart, and made possible with the support of General Electric.
The exhibition will be on view from the 14th of June, until the 1st of September, 2024. For more information, please visit the Africa Center.
