Clarita Maria Phiri-Beierdörffer: Ichibukisho – Act of Memory

Ichibukisho explores the transformation of unconscious memories into visual media, juxtaposing non-existent Zambian visual history with material created in the West. It examines oral histories, literature, films and photographs to reclaim Zambia’s narrative and reflect young Zambians’ shift towards traditional values for an independent future. The exhibition will be held at the Galerie für Zeitgenösische Kunst in Leipzig from 09.02.2024 to 14.04.2024. The opening will take place on the 09.02.2024 from 19:00-22:00.

The expansive video and sound installation ichibukisho is Clarita Maria Phiri-Beierdörffer’s diploma thesis. In her often autobiographical works, she explores the possibility of self-determined memory. With the help of stories and photographs, which she collects and processes, she attempts to confront lived experiences with learned knowledge. In doing so, she is interested in the question of the extent to which images support memory or create it in the first place. In CiBemba, a language spoken in Zambia, Tanzania and Congo, the word ichibukisho refers to the act of remembering. The installation of the same name consists of video interviews in which the protagonists talk about their origins, self-image and traditions. Another component of the work is a filmed group portrait in which Clarita Maria Phiri-Beierdörffer examines family relationships. The materials used in the installation refer to the spatial situation in which the conversations held in Lusaka took place.

Clarita Maria Phiri-Beierdörffer grew up in Zambia, Namibia and Germany and studies at the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig in the class of Prof. Dr. Ines Schaber and Clemens von Wedemeyer.

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