Cluster Calendar and its submissions

It has become somewhat of a beloved tradition: each year the Cluster of Excellence sends out the annual Cluster Calendar serving as the Cluster’s holiday greeting. While the years before the Cluster has asked for only photographs in the context of its annual theme, in 2023 the call for contributions explicitely encouraged all kind of artists to submit their artworks.

This image by Dylan McGarry is called "We have watched you come and go in all your forms". It is a still from the short film "The Blue Blanket" and shows solidarity between humans and whales, in the struggle against ocean fossil fuel extraction.

Co-founder of Empatheatre, Dylan McGarry is an accomplished Educational Sociologist, Ecologist, and Artist, known for his transformative work in various fields. Currently co-directing the One Ocean Hub, an international research project focused on reshaping ocean decision-making, Dylan serves as the Principal Investigator for this project at Rhodes University. His commitment to fostering change extends to his role as the co-director/co-founder of Empatheatre, a pioneering transgressive social learning practice (www.empatheatre.com). Dylan holds a transdisciplinary PhD in Environmental Education from Rhodes University, which included an apprenticeship in Social Sculpture at Oxford Brookes University. His (prac)academic journey has been marked by a deep commitment to research creation, creative co-engaged research, and innovative public pedagogy through storytelling and story-listening. Central to his work is the use of public storytelling as a means to promote inclusive forms of governance in the complex web of social-ecological interactions. His research interests encompass Transgressive Social Learning, Public Pedagogy, Theatre-based Research, Arts-based Research, Queer eco-pedagogy, Post-humanism, new Materialism, and critical African feminist approaches to co-engaged qualitative analysis.

This evocative painting by Hass Amz is called "Visualising Deathliness and Deathlessness". It thematises an Afro-Moroccan tale from the village of Zagoura showing a man playing a flute, who encapsulates not only the fluidity of time but also the imminent end and is watched by death itself.

Azmami el Hassan was born 1974 in Adgaz, in the region of Zagora unto a Berber family. He moved in 1986 to Casablanca to work as a goldsmith, nimbly decorating the pieces he builds in exquisite detail. In 1995 he was transferred to Fez, and then to Salé in 2005, where he currently lives. In addition to wearable art, Azmami is a painter, whose craftsmanship in goldsmithing and jewelry arts enabled him to create elaborate paintings. These translate his visions on a variety of themes, including the mystical presence of (non)humans, religion(s), female bodies, animals, birds, etc. His paintings are roused by the visual arts of the affluent cultures and worlds of Islam, Africa and beyond bearing the traces of multiple schools (i.e. Cubism, surrealism).

"Possessed by our Possessions!" by Abiodun Olasupo Akande depicts the history of slavery, colonialism, exploitations, and the definition and redefinition of humans, in the global South (as represented with the smaller circle on the right-hand side), by the global North (the bigger circle to the left).

Abiodun Olasupo Akande is a painter, curator, and art historian based in Lagos, Nigeria. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria, and got his Masters and PhD degrees in African Studies (Visual Arts) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His passion for painting was first sharpened under the tutelage of Moyo Okediji, his drawing and painting teacher, during his undergraduate days at the Obafemi Awolowo University. After graduation, he moved to Lagos, where he started to paint and exhibit. He later went back to school, and after obtaining his Ph.D. degree, he went back into the studio, deeply invigorated by his better understanding of the tangled but continually changing predicament of Africa within the global context. His paintings depict themes that speak to the complexities that beladen Africa as well as its people in their definition and re-definition by the West. He recently completed a six-panel (each panel measuring 2 meters by 6 meters) mural on the facade walls of the University of Lagos’ Library. He is currently an Associate Professor of Art and Art History at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. His works have been featured in several exhibitions. You can contact him via e-mail.

Omafuvwe means “I am at peace” in Urhobo language. This piece by Freddie Jacob celebrates patience and gratitude for what we already have.

Freddie Jacob (she/her) is a Nigerian digital artist, designer, and illustrator who is passionate about creating art that revolves around storytelling. She loves painting beautiful, strong, and confident characters that are often inspired by African identity, culture, queerness, self-image, mental health, and experiences in society. As an introverted artist, art helps her communicate with the world. She has had the opportunity to showcase her art through galleries (online and offline), projects, articles, social media, and nfts. Freddie and her works have been featured on Forbes, Wikipedia, Quartz, Artnews, Artsy, ColorsxStudios exhibition, and other outstanding platforms.

If you want to learn more about the artist, please visit her website and her portfolio.

The digital photo collage called "Leonie" by Sade Kinner portrays a hopeful vision of Africa’s future. It is composed of a variety of images, including traditional West African textiles and Afrofuturistic symbols, which encircle Leonie, a young German-Togolese woman.

Sade Kinner is a dynamic multimedia visual artist blending creativity with social consciousness. Hailing from a German-Yoruba background, Sade's work transcends genres, exploring the intersection of art and social matters. With a profound inspiration drawn from Afrofuturism, Sade's pieces are a captivating journey into a world where culture, identity, and imagination converge. Join the artistic voyage and experience her unique perspective through a tapestry of visual narratives

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The picture "Reaching Beyond: The Conflunce of Vision and Time" by Samuel Otun depicts the dynamic interplay between vision and time by symbolising the inherent human desire to tap into the realms of possibility, motivated by the profound understanding of the fleeting nature of time.

Samuel Otun is a nature, product, and lifestyle mobile photographer living in Oyo State. He loves to create vibrant photographs by capturing priceless moments in life. He attends Ladokites Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomoso, where he discovered his affinity for using photographs to tell tales. He enjoy making videos and visuals.

This photograph by Bilal El-Hadj Kora is called "Wessirou" (weaver). In northern Benin the trade shown in the photograph is the pride of the inhabitants because it creates a link between the modern and the traditional and recalls the cultural identity of the Barutem people.

Bilal El-Hadj Kora was born in N'dali in Benin and has been studying photography since high school. And after the the bachelor's degree he left university to devote himself to photography by training himself and taking part in masterclasses. He then set up his own studio at home with the few resources he had. He tries to make a living from the photography he does for weddings and portraits.

"Lisandro" is an image taken by Cuban photographer Marvin Rodriguez Torres. It is part of a project compiling life stories.

The photographer: "It is a general belief when speaking of Cuba, to locate it as a stronghold of the African heritage in America. However, this relatively young island socially, presents an anchor that in the last years of my profession as a photographer linked to a center of African studies, I have seen very gradually and subtly, take off from the background of the unacceptable, racism and stereotype. Assuming its image consistently, finding the beauty of naked bodies, not only female but also male, looking beyond the assigned social roles, has been a process that I have followed and, above all, lived with pride."

The photography by Yayra Agbofah is called "The Revival". It shows a woman crrying numerous shopping bags while standing at a landfill located near the slum, where she lives.

Yayra Agbofah is a creative social entrepreneur based in Accra,Ghana. His collective and consultancy AfroDistrict tackles social and environmental issues through art, education and entrepreneurship.Launched in 2018, THE REVIVAL is a community-led initiative rooted in upcycling culture; an innovative and engaging way to manage global textile waste in West Africa. More info: @AfroDistrictPA / @TheRevival.Earth

This photograph was taken by Lucky Unu. It is a part of the photographer's ongoing series exploring the different ways by which we connect with each other, ourselves and the world around us titled "Silent threads - the art of connections". As we look towards the future in hopes for a better and more developed africa, Certain aspects of our society we must remember what makes us who we are. The timeless bonds that transcend generations and hold us together, the steadfast reverence we hold for the natural and the beauty of our very interwoven communities. In all our proposed vision for what Africa should be, at no point in time should we lose our connections with each other and with the world.

. His works can be found on Facebook and/or Pinterest.

The Artwork "Present" was submitted by Moroccan artist Babatunde Tribe. In it, the vibrant pulse of today's Africa resonates. Urban landscapes merge with traditional elements, capturing the spirit of cultural fusion and societal dynamism. This piece reflects the present as a canvas where diversity and progress paint a modern masterpiece.

Babatunde Tribe is a Non-Binary Multifaceted Creative Force and Abstract artist, who possesses a deep appreciation for Arts and Fashion and the ability to perceive images beyond their surface. Additionally, they capture candid photographs showcasing everyday fashion and street lifestyles. Their fervor lies in promoting diversity and challenging societal conventions. Babatunde is active on social media for instance Twitter or Instagram.

This artwork is called BILLET IMAGINAIRE and was created by Fatoma Coulibaly.

The artist about their work: "Immigration has become a devastating scourge on the African continent. These young people are terrified of adventure in order to find the best in life, our continent is emptied day by day by death on the desert and between the Atlantic Ocean in search of the best. Through this photographer I am calling on African youth to become aware of what remains and build this beautiful continent which is the cradle of humanity. Time and the vision of young people can change Africa. I dream of a new face Africa to conquer the World."

Cluster of Excellence EXC 2052 - "Africa Multiple: reconfiguring African Studies"

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Cluster Calendar and its submissions

15.12.2023