‘Wulo’ exhibition presents a body of works by Berhanu Ashagrie that are processes and outcomes of ongoing artistic research focused on the concepts and practices of mourning, as a layered aesthetic, pedagogical, and political language.
Still-life, Berhanu Ashagrie, Addis Ababa, © 2023. Photographer: Naod Lema
In one way or another, each of us has been impacted by precarious socio-political conditions, both in the past and the present, that should make us potential candidates to imagine coming together based on vulnerability and loss. Despite differences, individuals and communities share a common thread that binds us through the shared experience of loss, allowing us to connect to a different sense of We. The fundamental element here is the acknowledgment of the tenuousness of this We, that requires collective responsibility and responsiveness.
The exhibition includes diverse process-driven and multidisciplinary artworks. As an integral part of the exhibition, a workshop will also be organized, fostering a communal space where individuals can come together to engage in collective dialogues and practices of mourning. This collaborative workshop aims to intertwine our diverse perspectives and emotions, weaving them into a collective journey and deeper understanding of shared socio-political conditions.
The title of the exhibition and the workshop, ‘Wulo’, is adapted from a mourning tradition that fosters a communal gathering to collectively address suppressed or postponed grief.
The exhibition will be on view from the 13th of October until the 17th of November, 2023. For more information, please visit The Modern Art Museum-GKDC.
