Ámà: The Gathering Place

Titled Ámà: The Gathering Place (2019/2021), Ogboh’s intervention takes the form of a tree, over 9 metres high, and includes an accompanying 12-channel sound installation as well as textile elements.

The work takes as a point of departure the “ámà”, or “village square” in Igbo. These sites are the physical and symbolic centres of life in Igbo society, spaces for gathering where ceremonies, entertainment, trade and everyday social exchange occur. Ámà: The Gathering Place takes inspiration from these sites and transforms the atrium into a space for respite and ritual, all amid the backdrop of recordings of an ensemble singing traditional Igbo folk songs addressing universal human concerns such as relationships, hope and mythical worldviews.

More info: www.berlinerfestspiele.de/en/berliner-festspiele/programm/bfs-gesamtprogramm/programmdetail_349014.html

Picture: Akwete cubes, © Emeka Ogboh