PRESENTATION: Akosua Viktoria AduSanyah-Corner Dry Lungs

Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah is a German-Ghanaian artist and photographer based in Zurich, Switzerland. Her work centres upon the color darkroom, where she uses the materials of photography, paper, light and time, to investigate familial bonds, personal loss, identity and structures of institutional power. The work created emphasises the process of its making; particularly the journey from initial ideas and research to the creation of a photographic object that is imbued with feeling and emotion.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: MMK Archive

For the exhibition “Corner Dry Lungs”, Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah is creating a new, expansive work. The works created in the exhibition space, under its light, spatial, and institutional conditions, become part of a mourning process; Frankfurt becomes a place of loss. The incessant tears leave the lungs dry. Through manual processes, digital or chemical experiments, and performative gestures, Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah creates works and spaces that are at once clear, revealing, and ephemeral. In doing so, she questions the limits of the medium of photography both conceptually and through physical practice. Complete control and complete loss of control define the space of the possible. The lengthy process of developing analog photographs is not concealed here but is a visible part of the installation, inextricably linked to the works, their presentation, and ourselves. By exposing the technical nature of the developing process, we are witnesses—and thus part of the photographic reality. Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah’s work delves into themes of identity, personal loss, familial bonds, and the examination of institutional power structures. She is particularly noted for her innovative use of analog photography, exploring the interplay between control and surrender in the creative process. Adu-Sanyah’s artistic journey is deeply rooted in the “negative space” within photographic processes—a concept she describes as the transition between control and surrender, where the medium’s unknown qualities reveal themselves. This approach allows her to uncover irreproducible landscapes of color, form, and meaning, moving beyond traditional notions of imperfection in analog photography. In October 2024, Adu-Sanyah presented “The House is a Body” at the Georgian House Museum in Bristol as part of the Bristol Photo Festival. This exhibition engaged with the building’s colonial history, reflecting on its past as the home of John Pinney, a wealthy sugar merchant and slaveholder, as well as Pero Jones and Fanny Coker, individuals who were born into slavery and brought to Bristol by the Pinney family. Through her work, Adu-Sanyah invited viewers to confront and reflect upon these complex historical narratives. Adu-Sanyah’s contributions to the field have been recognized with several awards and grants. In 2024, she received the Swiss Art Award and a Project Grant from Pro Helvetia for “Photographic Uncertainties/Focus Photo.” Her commitment to exploring new territories through image-making and research has also earned her the Louis Roederer Art Prize for Sustainability in 2022. In addition to her exhibitions, Adu-Sanyah has contributed to the discourse on contemporary photography through artist residencies and publications. In early 2022, she was an artist-in-residence at the Photoforum Pasquart in Biel, Switzerland. She also published an artist book titled “ROUGH TIDE” in June 2024, further showcasing her exploration of photographic materiality and process. Adu-Sanyah’s practice is a testament to her dedication to pushing the boundaries of photography. By embracing the unpredictable elements of analog processes and delving into complex themes, she creates work that is both visually striking and intellectually engaging. Her contributions continue to influence and inspire discussions on identity, history, and the evolving nature of photographic art.

Photo left: Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah, White Gaze II Black Square (small iteration, mirror II), 2024, courtesy the artist. Photo right: Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah, corner dry lungs II (under glass), 2024, courtesy the artist

Info: Curators: Susanne Pfeffer, Lukas Flygare, ZOLLAMT MMK, Domstr. 3, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Duration: 28/9/2024-2/2/2025, Days & Hours: Tue & Thu-Sun 22:00-28:00, Wed 11:00-20:00, www.mmk.art/