Grada Kilomba

Works

The Desire Project
,

2015-2016, Video Installation

Grada Kilomba’s work is presented on eight screens in front of the Gorki theatre. The multichannel installation is composed of a three act video, representing three chronological moments – While I Walk, While I Speak and While I Write. In this piece, Kilomba uses the written word as the only visual element, accompanied by an rhythmical drumming as a metaphorical voice, indicating the emergence of a speaker who has been historically silenced by colonial narratives. Rembering the story of Escrava Anastácia Kilomba plays with the concept of memory, »as something we cannot simply forget« and raises the questions of »who can speak« and »what can we speak about«.

Music: Moses Leo
Image editing: Zé de Paiva

Grada Kilomba, born 1968 in Lisbon, is based in Berlin. Her work was featured in international exhibtions including documenta 14, Kassel (2017), the 32. São Paulo Biennale (2016). She has been lecturing at several international universities and was a guest professor for Gender Studies at Humboldt-Universitä t zu Berlin. She curated the event series Kosmos² at Maxim Gorki Theatre.