Among the 17 invited to make up the Force Majeure of the Laboratory of the Future, assembled by curator Lesley Lokko in the Central Pavilion of the Giardini, Ibrahim Mahama is rightfully among the most representative of African and diasporic architectural production.
While not an architect, strictly speaking, Ibrahim Mahama redefined the scope of the architectural practice, and more. His Parliament of Ghosts is a prime example of what he does: a celebration of traditional red clay architecture in his home country of Ghana. The piece was originally created as an installation for the Whitworth in Manchester. Born as the outcome of research on the identity traces in post-independence Ghana, it is also a workspace and Mahama’s own studio. At Biennale, what is presented before us is an assembly of abandoned items, salvaged to recreate a mock-up parliament: burlap sacks, the seats of a railway station waiting hall, school furniture, old papers.
Back in the town of Tamale, Ghana, the local community is an integral part of Mahama’s project. Art enters life and opens new possibilities to experience objects and memories, stimulating the imagination and giving voice to new perspectives and visions on reality. The remains of the Gold Coast Railway, the legacy of colonial exploitation, have been turned into a gift to the community, who will use it to understand the past and imagine a new future. This is what Parliament of Ghosts is all about.
