The Earth as a Wayfinder

The Earth as a Wayfinder takes the shape of an experimental research forum, organized around several interrelated themes: (Un)rooting Knowledge, Sonic Memory Work, Transformative Ecosystems in Practice, and Becoming at One with the World.

The two-day program is  developed in collaboration with LuCAC, with the goal of creating a fertile ground for local dialogue about restitution, reparation and transformation, as a means of collectively exploring how these topics resonate locally and regionally, as considered in relation to spatial and architectural histories, land (dis)possession, and reparative futures. 

The Earth as a Wayfinder offers a collaborative space where artists, researchers and activists will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, strategies, and references. The goal is to address questions of restitution in direct relation to  artistic and design practices, while also considering the nuances and practicalities of what restitution of knowledge entails across Africa and its diasporas.

This gathering is an opportunity to highlight historical, ongoing and emerging practices of “restitutional (re)thinking” by bringing together artists, poets, designers, musicians, curators and researchers, whose work is grounded in anticolonial thinking and the desire for radical transformation. The program  at LuCAC centers around the concepts and practices of reparative futures and the importance of (im)material culture in relation to artistic practice and community. The multidisciplinary approach foregrounds the importance of artistic and design practices in relation to  reimagining restitution, and aims to stretch the notion of what restitution is or can be (beyond the objects). 

The program features a keynote lecture by Ngaire Blankenberg (The Institute for Creative Repair, Johannesburg); performances by Agnes & Lawrence Yombwe, Ogutu Muraya, Damien Ajavon and James Sakala, and additional contributions by Amal Alhaag, Michael Barrett, Jim Chuchu, Letaru Dralega, Sana Ginwalla, Mulenga Kapwepwe, Linda Lamignan,  George Mahashe, Cliff Moustache, Andrew Mulenga,  Victor Mutelekesha, Stary Mwaba, Camille Norment, Kaloki Nyamai, Victoria Phiri, and Selene Wendt. 

Sustaining the Otherwise is conceptualized and curated by Selene Wendt & Amal Alhaag. The Earth as a Wayfinder is hosted in collaboration with Lusaka Contemporary Art Center. LuCAC is a private non-profit facility that serves as a public-facing hub for artistic research, exhibitions, and resources, including a gallery, library, and art residency. Dedicated to decolonization, LuCAC encourages artistic research and experimentation, challenging dominant “colonized” narratives reexamining common stories and histories to influence equitable worldbuilding.

With generous support from Nordic Culture Fund, Creative Industries Fund NL, Fritt Ord, Arts and Culture Norway, and OCA.