We’ve started off the new year with a new collaboration: Nuku Studio in Ghana and Hangar in Portugal are joining forces to foster an artist exchange between the two countries - through an artist-in-residency programme.
Hangar is an Artistic Research Center located in Graça, Lisbon, Portugal. Hangar includes a center of exhibitions, artistic residencies, and artistic studies. It is also a center of education, talks, and conversations that unify geographic locations, cultures and identities and stimulate the development of artistic and theoretical practices. It is a place for experimentation, research, and reflecting artistic practices.
The first artist-in-residence from Ghana - Ofoe Amegavie - just concluded his one month residency at Hangar with a presentation of his ongoing project “Between Sand and Water”.
Ofoe used the time at Hangar and conversations with Hangar’s Curator Cristiana Tejo to further the presentation of his years-long research on the impacts of climate change on communities around the Volta lake and river, specifically Ada, Ofoe’s hometown on the coast of Ghana. He also explored the coastal town of Cova do Vapor in Portugal which is suffering from the impact of coastal erosion - on his first encounter discovering similarities to Ada as it is also located at a point where the river (Tagus) meets the ocean.
The presentation took place during Hangar’s first Open Day of the year. Ofoe was joined by another artist-in-residence, Yasmine Attoumane from La Réunion who explores her relationship to water - the river, the ocean, and the changes they go through due to human activity. Her performance-based research includes also photographic works.
“It was interesting to discover many similarities despite the very different research approaches of the two artists. This is the beauty of our residency program,” said Hangar curator Cristiana Tejo.
The two cultural institutions are looking forward to supporting more artists from both countries to further develop their practices.
Nii Obodai, Founder and Director of Nuku Studio, said: “Nuku Studio’s Art Residency at our Center for Photographic Research and Practice in Tamale offers a home away from home, a quiet place to explore and experiment in a new environment. We’re looking forward to welcoming artists from Portugal through the collaboration with Hangar this year.”