Referencing the (often violent) movement and exchange of minerals, energy, goods, and people, Otobong Nkanga’s work is a reminder that objects and actions do not exist in isolation: there is always a connection, always an impact. “None of us exist in a static state”, the artist has said. “Identities are constantly evolving. African identities are multiple. When I look at, for example, Nigerian, Senegalese, Kenyan, French, or Indian cultures, you cannot talk about a specific identity without talking about the colonial impacts and the impact of this exchange – of trade and goods and culture”.
