How to Institute
HOW TO INSTITUTE
12/12
With Afrofeminism in progress, Black(s) to the Future, SAVVY Contemporary
Moderated by Justin Randolph Thompson [AWI]
The roundtable focused on the creation of new institutions as a strategy to prioritise values that are not adequately considered by the canons and by the dominant narratives, and as a tactic to promote alternative forms of access and integration in existing structures. Taking into account multiple historical narratives, alternative forms of education and the mediating role of activism within cultural institutions, a reflection was carried out on geopolitical gatekeeping and transnational conversations rooted in local contexts. How can we build the basic models and structures for the change we want to see? How can we transform the value attributed to cultural operators and marginalised communities through forms of institution building? What are the limits of the process of infiltration into institutions in order to promote radical change from within them?
SAVVY Contemporary is a space dedicated to art, a discursive platform and a place of conviviality. SAVVY Contemporary moves along the boundary of the notions of West and non-West, from the perspective of understanding and deconstructing the two terms. It created a participatory archive on German colonial history, a Documentation Centre on the Performing Arts, a library, a residency programme and educational projects with schools. https://savvy-contemporary.com/
Black(s) to the Future is a multifaceted collective launched in 2015 which moves from an afro-futurist perspective. BTTF is committed to telling and building an inclusive, sustainable and emancipated world, through the creation of online content, organising events and developing products in the field of fashion, design, publishing and computer science. Mawena Yehouessi is founder and director of Black(s) to the Future. http://blackstothefuture.com/en/
Afrofeminism in Progress is a project conceived by Emmanuelle Nsunda in 2017 that is located between Liege and Brussels. AIP aims to explore decolonial issues from the perspective of afro-descendant women, creating safe discussion spaces around their experiences and the hierarchical relationships that govern their daily lives.