New Delhi, February 14 Contemporary Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama, known for his socio-politically aware artworks, believes that it is the responsibility of an artist to reflect on the world they find themselves in, as art is not just an aesthetic thing; it can have a real impact.
After creating ripples in the art world with his installation "Parliament of Ghosts", which carried a strong political subtext, at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale last December, Mahama travelled to the 17th India Art Fair in Delhi last week to speak in a panel on themes of access, accountability, social difference, and cultural spaces.
"I don't think art is just supposed to be an aesthetic thing. I believe that art can have a real impact in the real world that we find ourselves in. We are in it not just from an aesthetic point of view or maybe from a symbolic point of view; it goes beyond the symbolic, and that is where I talk about the responsibility of the artists," Mahama told
The 38-year-old was visiting the booth of another artist, Kulpreet Singh, known for social commentary through his works. Singh's show at the IAF featured coloured drawings of endangered and extinct species, reflecting on the climate crisis and its impact on farmers.
Mahama said his own studio is a sanctuary for bats and other species of animals, as he believes art can be used to "revitalize the world".
While designing his studio, Mahama left a cavity in the walls, which is now home to "hundred thousand bats".
"Then it made me reflect on how much the urban centres and their development are creating this kind of ecological crisis where birds and others, due to hunting activities and all that, are diminishing, and then architecturally we can build spaces that allow for these birds or other special species to feel safe," he said.
Mahama added that even though the majority of art is still bound to the idea of institutions and museums, there is hope that artists are now thinking about moving "away from the modernist thinking, away from the modern arts, and the white cube".
"Even in our generation, you still find artists who want to make work that's specific to a certain context."
Sharing his own example, he said that he continues to work with galleries and museums, but eventually he goes back to his independent practice.
"So, you can still be able to respond to both, but I think at the end of it, you have to realise that when you're making work, you're not making it for nothing; you're making the work for people in the world, you're making the work for plants, for animals, for everyone," Mahama said.
"The idea is that the work should cause us to be able to reflect a lot more on the current conditions and future conditions at the same time."
Mahama's work in Kochi, which used repurposed materials like chairs and jute bags, explored themes of post-colonial decay, memory, labor, and economic history.
The work, he said, was about going beyond individual experiences and rather looking into the complexity of the world and the society that we find ourselves in.
"When something is almost near its end, it means that it possesses a lot of history, though it has decayed," he said.
It becomes imperative for an artist to reflect upon the times they live in as well as on historical practices of their craft, he added, because "whatever happened before shapes another generation".
"If you find yourself in a craft community, why those people make what they make is because of the historical practice of the craft and everything that comes with it, or sometimes even due to issues like migration or war or ethnic conflicts, displacement. It's important, but certainly the idea is to somehow reflect upon it and to see how we can reinterpret it to create new forms that can inspire new practices going forward," Mahama said.