Myths of Malawi - A Dialogue in Pictures
In 2016, the German Malawi Association supported a traveling exhibition with works by Malawian and German artists. The objects were created during an art project in Malawi in 2015. The initiator was DMaG board member Dr. Kristina Heide, who was involved as an artist herself, together with Malawian Ellis Singano.
Four German and eight Malawian artists met for a joint workshop on Malawian myths: Eva Chikabadwa, Karl Dautermann, Kris Heide, Mark Krause, George Mkumbula, Gilbert Mpakule, David Mzengo, Kenneth Namalomba, Theophany Nammelo, Peter-Paul Ndyani, Michael Plaetschke and Ellis Singano.
The theme of the project Myths of Malawi – Malawian German Art Symposium in Blantyre from April 13 to 17, 2015 ties in with Malawi’s oral storytelling tradition, as there is an intrinsic relationship between the artistic languages of free storytelling, embellishment, interpretation and the visual arts. In both systems, the imagination can act freely, work along storylines or also invent, collage and abstract in a surreal way. Emotions and values are formulated. Art and narrative art provide both an individual and an overarching, socially relevant approach to the culture of a country.
It is about the stories that play a role in the lives of Malawian artists. There were countless ways to realize them artistically: Text-based illustration or individual exploration of the value systems conveyed, personal experiences, emotions and reactions to the narrative. Even abstract transpositions of speech rhythms or central metaphors were possible and historical analysis was conceivable: How did myths and society change? How relevant is Malawi’s oral storytelling tradition today?
The aim of the project is to approach a pre-colonial Malawian identity by drawing on Malawian myths. In discourse with current artistic positions in Malawi, an authentic, contemporary and self-confident picture of the culture of this country is drawn.
The view of the four German artists, from the outside so to speak, facilitates intercultural dialog. Initially, the German guests were the learners, a pleasant reversal of past development work. They had familiarized themselves with some stories in Germany and had seen Mua Mission with its magnificent ethnological museum and the rock paintings of Dedza in Malawi. Now they had to bring their fresh impressions together with the positions of the eight Malawian artists. Exchange and collaboration, an intensive dialog at eye level took place.
The exhibition showed a selection of the works and was accompanied by general information about Malawi, the country and its people. An exhibition catalog has also been published by Wasmuth-Verlag: Kristina Heide (Hg.) „Myths of Malawi – Ein Dialog in Bildern“, ISBN 978-3-8030-3378-9.
Exhibition in Hamburg
More than 70 people attended the vernissage in Hamburg and were very interested in and impressed by the works of art and the underlying cultural themes.
The country of Malawi also attracted a great deal of interest, as most of the visitors studied the information on the country and its people in great detail, which was displayed on a roll-up and in a tourist brochure.
Exhibition in Berlin
Around 60 people attended the vernissage, which was jointly organized by DMaG and the German Africa Foundation. The Malawian Ambassador H. E. Michael Kamphambe-Nkhoma gave a speech and opened the exhibition.
The exhibits and information on Malawi were also met with great interest. The exhibition space, the visitors’ foyer of the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government, was frequented by several groups of visitors every day.
Other exhibition venues were Hanover and Tübingen, both of which were very well received by visitors.