In this video, Manthia Diawara expresses his personal view on the concept of “Longue Durée” and how it relates to the work of his and Obrist’s mentor, French author Edouard Glissant. Referring to other Black Studies authors such as Frantz Fanon and Sylvia Wynter, Obrist and Diawara explain their shared commitment to “Back to Earth”, an ongoing project at the Serpentine Galleries in London that encourages local communities around the world to reconnect with their original roots and the nature that surrounds them.
“Longue durée is not losing the past, but always repeating the past with some kind of detour, some kind of contamination. You are moving, but you are always staying in the same place.”
– Manthia Diawara
