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After more than fifty editions navigating the international Black diaspora, this signifies a final column. The tenure proved profoundly rewarding, and immense appreciation directed to every one of the attentive audience.

Inside the Accra Festival

Visiting the displays, installations and performances of this event, one sees how the finest art feeds and constructs a nation's history and character. The highlight was certainly Serge Attukwei Clottey’s remarkable [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which showcased his groundbreaking afrogallonism in full view: a philosophy that reimagines water vessels into illusory works of art, assemblages of yellow, brass and gold. The display was created as a homage to the strength of Jamestown, a venerable quarter of Accra.

The community – predominantly inhabited by the Ga people, a community of fishermen – is furthermore where a great number of returning Africans came back from South America and established themselves in the 19th century. Called the Tabom community, they introduced Portuguese tongue and traditions.

All across Jamestown, you can see a fusion of architecture. Standing is Fort Vicentia, featuring its unique Portuguese brickwork and arched doorways. One can also see the famous beacon, built in the 19th century and subsequently sporting its distinctive banded facade.

A Culture of Mourning

Also striking about Jamestown is the ever-present sight of obituary announcements. Everywhere you turn, be it covering walls or on larger hoardings, there are service information and expressions of mourning. In Jamestown, mirroring customs in Ghana, funerals are significant community celebrations.

In Clottey’s impressive installation, all of the sights, sounds and religious textures of Jamestown are captured – notably in the immersive beach-themed installation. Within it, visitors are calmed by the sound of crashing waves with beach material at your feet, while shacks, nets and images of boats celebrate its vibrant, long-standing maritime community. However being present in this gallery, one cannot help but think of the heaps of textile waste that mar the aesthetics and peace of the region.

Beyond the Headline Act

Accra Cultural Week also features a great deal more. Housed in an raw space at the local university, artist Sylvester presented a deeply moving minimalist collection, an profoundly affecting, stripped-back exhibition that displayed three-dimensional works and canvases made in collaboration with welders.

Another key element is the prestigious art award for Ghanaian women creators. It included the inaugural exhibition of a 2024 recipient, whose work references historical documents to produce a visual impression of life in the nation's recent history. The event also announced a new winner, whose diverse work is particularly concerned with the craft techniques of women in the Volta region.

An Enduring Presence

While the global African community has increasingly been attracted home to Ghana during the western winter, more and more are thinking about travelling some months earlier to experience the region’s artistic calendar. From this festival and similar gatherings, what is evident are cultural ecosystems that are not merely nascent or “upcoming” but have forged an entire universe that is here to stay.

Ultimately, the journey offers a perception of Accra that feels like a manifesto for ecological stewardship and the keeping alive of tradition. It is a compelling homage to adaptability in all its forms.