A collage-style illustration with French words and phrases, abstract drawings of people, a skull, a broken structure, a spilled cup, and colorful highlights on a grey textured background.

Ubuntu

This term from the Bantu languages of Southern Africa refers to a humanist philosophy based on the idea of the interdependence of the links between all beings. It could be glossed as follows: “I am because we are.” This notion is not specific to the African continent. The philosophy has spread throughout the world and founded dreams of collective emancipation and solidarity from the dark periods of the Atlantic slave trade to liberation movements, from post-colonial experiences to contemporary uprisings. This notion can also be found around Bili Bidjocka’s table, in Turiya Magdalela’s tunnels of sewn-together tights, or in Sabelo Mlangeni’s shelter for LGBTQI people. Ubuntu’s specific being-together emerges in the exhibition, more as an experience for the visitor than as a notion to be analysed.

 

Abstract illustration with French phrases, an eye above stairs, a dog in a house, the sun, a heart-flower, and three green-haired figures under water streams. The background is gray with pastel splashes.