The Public Art Art Passage is a new format for art in public space in Munich. It consists of 11 monitors in historic display cases from the 1950s and features works by international artists. Karimah Ashadu kicks off this new format for Munich.
Artist Karimah Ashadu addresses the themes of work and self-determination practices in the social, economic and cultural context of West Africa and its diaspora. Her ca. 30-minute film “Plateau” (2021) shows the challenges faced by a group of undocumented, self-employed tin miners in Nigeria’s Jos Plateau, who struggle to earn a living under precarious conditions. The film combines lyrical and investigative elements to depict the relationship between the landscape and the physical exertions of the workers. The “Plateau” project is now being adapted especially for the Passage in the display cases at Marienplatz in Munich. A series of 11 film stills will alternate daily, with a total of 77 individual images telling the story in a dynamic format. The selected scenes will be edited to convey a sense of movement and continuity. In addition, excerpted quotes from the film, translated into English, will be presented on transparent vinyl sheets to amplify the voices of the community. “Plateau” examines the economic and social consequences of British colonialism in Nigeria and the ongoing challenges for miners seeking to live life autonomously on their own terms.
Karimah Ashadu, born in 1985, lives and works in Lagos, Hamburg and London.
