Emeka Ogboh begins his talk with a demonstration of the chants of the Igbo tribe, an ethnic group living in the rural areas of his native Nigeria. The traditional chants would often be performed at the Àmá, the village’s central square. They served to create community, but also to convey ideas of morality, tradition, and history. Ogboh’s installation “Àmá: The Gathering Place” (2019), in which the Igbo-chants play a central role, represents an artistic interpretation of the Nigerian village square.
“Where I come from, in Nigeria, listening is not just about hearing your environment, it’s a way you get instructed, you learn the morals, the history.”
– Emeka Ogboh
