PREVIEW:FOUNDATIONS-15 International Perspectives

The group exhibition “FOUNDATIONS – 15 International Perspectives”, features painting, photography, sculpture, video, mixed media, and installations, with a particular emphasis on African diasporic and African American perspectives. Haus Kunst Mitte creates a space for inclusive viewpoints, highlighting unique aspects of content, medium, and genre, and encouraging engagement with diverse perspectives on the fundamental and interconnected elements of life.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Haus Kunst Mitte Archive

The works in the exhibition “FOUNDATIONS 15 International Perspectives”, explore the building blocks of life in remarkable and multifaceted ways, seeking answers to questions such as: How does life emerge? How is it perceived and shaped? The ideas presented are essential, foundational, and vital to life itself. Some artworks delve into the development of social concepts such as human rights or reflect on the impact of individual and collective histories, particularly how childhood experiences influence adult life. Others foreground the intergenerational effects of colonial history. Additional works highlight the influence of art history and traditional art forms on contemporary artistic practices. The exhibition also examines the significance of biological, social, and cultural ecosystems, as well as the ripple effects of even the smallest changes within our global cultural, economic, political, and ecological systems. Several artists featured in the exhibition experiment with materials such as steel, wood, fabric, or self-produced bioplastics. They transform these materials while exploring historical and philosophical concepts, reimagining them in the process. Osi Audu reinterprets traditional West African headgear and sculptures in innovative ways. His sculptures are characterized by minimal geometric shapes, monochrome tones of black, white, and grey, as well as contrasting colors. Conceptually, his work draws on ancient Yoruba philosophies. Inspired by the Yoruba concept of Ori Inu (“the inner head”), Audu’s artworks direct our attention to the head as the seat of consciousness and as an object of self-reflection and self-knowledge. Similarly, Ato Ribeiro channels traditional knowledge systems in his work by creating sculptures from discarded wood fragments. These sculptures reference traditional West African Kente fabrics and Adinkra symbols, addressing historical practices of exclusion and gentrification. Nnenna Okore and Ghizlane Sahli explore the weaving and embroidery traditions of Nigeria and Morocco in their abstract textile sculptures, addressing themes of environmental concern and sustainability. Nnenna Okore’s installations are made from torn fabrics woven over delicate wire frameworks, inspired by patterns found in nature. In her most recent works, she experiments with food waste, creating sculptures from bioplastics. Ghizlane Sahli draws inspiration from cell structures, coral reefs, and the microbiological landscapes of the body. She creates intricate silk sculptures that encase used plastic bottles. A second group of artistic works focuses on figurative and abstract painting, exploring individual and collective history and experience. Mario Moore reflects on land and home ownership within African American communities in his works. In contrast, Mario Joyce documents his coming of age as a Black, queer boy in rural America, drawing inspiration from the experiences of his ancestors. Kevin Demery weaves together collective and individual histories, contextualizing the contemporary experiences of African American youth. Raelis Vasquez, on the other hand, captures everyday life in the Dominican Republic, addressing themes of self-realization. The artists Jerry Helle, Adelaide Damoah, and Sekai Machache focus on the emotional and spiritual dimensions of our individual and collective experiences. Adelaide Damoah explores sexuality and spirituality through performative body imprints. Sekai Machache, in contrast, presents fundamental archetypes of human experience in her Tarot series “Major Arcana”. Jerry Helle highlights the immediacy and universality of color and material in his abstract paintings. Philip Crawford, Anike Joyce Sadiq, Lerato Shadi, and Helena Uambembe use video, drawing, and installation to reveal the hidden aspects of our existence.

Participating artists: Osi Audu, Philip Crawford, Adelaide Damoah, Kevin Demery, Jerry Helle, Mario Joyce, Sekai Machache, Mario Moore, Nnenna Okore, Ato Ribeiro, Anike Joyce Sadiq, Ghizlane Sahli, Lerato Shadi, Helena Uambembe und Raelis Vasquez

Photo: Ghizlane Sahli, Histoires de Tripes 08, 2019. Silk, plastic bottles and plastic tubes on wire frame and wooden plate. 155 x 174 x 30 cm, © Sakhile&Me

Info: Curators: Sakhile Matlhare and Daniel Hagemeier, Haus Kunst Mitte, Heidestraße 54, Berlin, Germany, Duration: 11/4-25/7/2025, Days & Hours: Wed-Sun 12:00-18:00, www.hauskunstmitte.de/