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In the wake of over fifty editions exploring the global Black diaspora, this represents a last dispatch. The experience proved deeply gratifying, with great thanks directed to all the engaged followers.

Inside Accra Cultural Week

Attending the showcases, artworks and acts of this event, one sees how superior art sustains and constructs a nation's past and character. The centrepiece was without doubt Clottey's stunning [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which put his pioneering afrogallonism in full view: a concept that transforms water vessels into illusory creations, assemblages of metallic tones. The show was designed as a homage to the resilience of Jamestown, a historical quarter of Accra.

This area – mainly home to the Ga community, a community of fishermen – is furthermore where many returning Africans came back from South America and made their home in the 1830s. Called the Tabom, they brought Portuguese language and culture.

In every part of Jamestown, visitors encounter a mix of architectural styles. You'll find a historic building, featuring its unique Portuguese masonry and door arches. One can also see the famous Jamestown Lighthouse, erected in the 1800s and later sporting its signature banded appearance.

Traditions of Mourning

Also notable about Jamestown is the ever-present sight of memorial notices. On every corner, whether affixed to walls or on larger hoardings, you’ll see service information and expressions of loss. In Jamestown, as throughout Ghana, funerals are significant communal events.

In Clottey’s impressive exhibition, every aspect of the sensory and spiritual landscape of Jamestown are present – notably in the engaging beach-themed installation. Here, one is relaxed by the recording of ocean surf with granules underfoot, while shelters, hanging fishing nets and images of boats honour its dynamic, generational seafaring tradition. However experiencing this exhibition space, one cannot help but think of the heaps of cast-off garments that mar the beauty and peace of the shoreline.

Beyond the Centrepiece

Accra Cultural Week also features a great deal more. Housed in an incomplete building at the University of Ghana, artist Reginald Sylvester II presented On the Other Side of Languish, an emotionally powerful, stripped-back presentation that featured sculptures and canvases produced in collaboration with artisans.

Also featured was the prestigious art award for Ghanaian women creators. It included the debut presentation of a recent recipient, whose work utilizes familial archival records to create a depiction of life in post-independence Ghana. The event also honored a current winner, whose diverse work is intensely focused on the weaving practices of women in a specific region.

A Permanent Presence

While the diaspora has more and more been drawn home to west Africa during the western winter, an increasing number are thinking about visiting some months earlier to experience the region’s artistic calendar. Between this festival and similar gatherings, what emerges are cultural ecosystems that are not merely nascent or “rising” but have built up an whole world that is permanent.

Ultimately, the visit provides a image of Accra that serves as a manifesto for ecological stewardship and the preservation of heritage. It is a compelling testament to adaptability in all its manifestations.