Organization, Engagement, Coloniality. Hangar: Centro de Investigações Artísticas in Lisbon.

O ganiza ion, Engagemen , Coloniali y. Hanga : Cen o de In es igações A ís icas in Lisbon. Ca los Ga ido Cas ellano Pos -doc Resea che Cen o de Es udos Compa a is as Uni e sidade de Lisboa [email protected] Abs ac : This pape analyzes he wo k o Hanga . Cen o de In es igação A ís ica, he i s a is -managed space in Po ugal dealing wi h pos colonial issues and A ican a . Th ough a e ision o Hanga ´s ac i i ies, I aim o de elop a c i ical backg ound o examine how A ican a has been displayed and consumed in Po ugal, in ela ion wi h he p ocess o p oduc ion o he coun y´s con adic o y pos colonial image. The eme gence o Hanga and he de elopmen o long- e m ela ions bo h wi h eme gen a is s bo n in A ica and wi h he local communi y o A o-descendan s implies, I sugges , a new and mo e uc i e ous app oach o ha ma e . I also b ings new ools o a is s and cul u al agen s o s eng hen hei agency agains he o ces o ou is i ica ion and commodi iza ion ha Lisbon and con empo a y a om he A ican coun ies o Po uguese Language a e espec i ely expe iencing. The ex is ollowed by a sho in e iew wi h Hanga ´ ounde s and di ec o s B uno Lei ão and Mónica de Mi anda. Po ugal became a common enue o A ican a is s wi hin he las decades o he 20 h Cen u y, especially o hose coming om he PALOPS (Países A icanos de Língua Po uguesa). Echoing he in e es o biennials and majo a cen e s, he na ional a ins i u ions, especially hose loca ed in Lisbon, o ganized o hos ed se e al la ge-scale exhibi ions, including majo cu a o ial p ojec s and solo exhibi ions o a wide a ie y o well-known and up- o-coming a is s om he con inen 1 . A special—and widely p oblema ic— 1 Among hose we can men ion Um oceano in ei o pa a nada (2000) Looking bo h Ways: Das esquinas do olha (2005); Réplica e Rebeldia (2006); De Malanga ana a Ped o Cab i a Reis (2009); F on ei as (2010) ou A is as Comp ome idos? Tal ez (2014). Fo a c i ique o his p ocess, see Fe nandes Dias (2006); Cos a Dias (2009). Conce ning indi idual exhibi ions, we can men ion ocus on he o me colonial e i o ies o Angola, Cape Ve de, Mozambique and São Tomé p esided ha p ocess. The p esence o A ican a wi hin Po uguese cul u al and exhibi ional landscape is connec ed wi h he p ocess o ede ini ion o Po uguese pos colonial iden i y. In some way, hen, he inc easing numbe s o cul u al and a is ic e en s ela ed o A ica a ises as a esponse o he p esen p edicamen o he Po uguese p esen , ma ked by he in eg a ion o he Eu opean Union, he coun y´s mode niza ion and he con igu a ion o a mul icul u al and mul i acial ci izen y. Those p ojec s, o cou se, a e no exemp o con adic ions: one he one hand, he e is a g owing in e es in app oaching c i ically he cul u al p edicamen engaging wi h Po ugal´s pos colonial geopoli ics (see Cas elo 1998; Bas os e al. 2002; Vale de Almeida 2000, 2006, Ribei o Sanches 2006 Ribei o Sanches e al. 2011, Sousa San os 1993, 2002); on he o he , a he same ime, he cul u al mani es a ions p oduced wi hin he A ican con inen and hose linked o A ican mig a ion in Po ugal ha e been commodi ized and spec acula ized, ans o ming Lisbon in o a majo cul u al cen e o he “Lusophone” A lan ic. When con on ing he p ojec ha I b ie ly summa ized abo e, some conside a ions need o be made on wha a is conce ned. Fi s , he e has been a dispa i y be ween he display and he c i icism o a is ic mani es a ions, a phenomenon ha is inc easingly changing, pa icula ly due o he labo o young esea che s. The numbe o esou ces dealing wi h “Lusophone” A ican a is, hen, g owing a he same ime ha some a is s and loca ions ecei e mo e and mo e c i ical a en ion 2 . Secondly, he exhibi ional dynamics ocusing on A ican a ha e la gely mis ep esen ed and igno ed A o-descendan popula ions, c ea ing a gap be ween “mode n” a wo ks and isual discou ses o ien ed o an in e na ional and a is ic consump ion and dissemina ion, and he local eali y and cul u al mani es a ions o mig an popula ions. Rela ed o ha , he loci o A ican cul u al and cu a o ial p ac ices a ise as a cen al poin o in e sec ion and con as be ween na ional expec a ions, pos colonial anxie ies and ansna ional luxes, in which audiences and e i o ial dema ca ions a e e y much c issc ossing class and cul u al di e ence. he names o Pie e Hugo, Ângela Fe ei a, An ónio Ole, Kiluanji Kia Henda o Renée G een. See Rosenga en 1998, Balona de Oli ei a 2016. 2 The A A ica p ojec (h p://a a ica.le as.ulisboa.p /p /) de eloped in he ea ly 2000s can be men ioned as a p ecu so o he ini ia i es a ising in he las yea s. I sys ema ically co e s he en i e scope o he A ican coun ies o Po uguese language. Alda Cos a (2013) is au ho o he mos exhaus i e monog aph on he ma e , lacking simila essays o he o he coun ies. The bibliog aphy on isual a s is, in any case, subs an ially smalle han he exis en on music o li e a u e. C ea ed in 2015, Hanga . Cen o de In es igação A ís ica a ose pa ially as a esponse o ha p edicamen . Hanga is p esen ed as a space o in e ac ion, especially in e es ed in “Encou ag[ing] a is ic in e ac ion and explo a ion o he u ban en i onmen especially in he con ex s o memo y, space and people.” 3 I is he esul o he collabo a ion be ween he Luso-Angolan a is Mónica de Mi anda, he Po uguese cu a o B uno Lei ão and he cul u al manage s And eia Páscoa and Ana de Almeida. A p og am o local exchanges suppo ed by he Lisbon Ci y Council p o ided he ini ial inpu o he c ea ion o he p ojec , which la e on consolida ed a ne wo k o local and in e na ional a is ic and non-a is ic suppo e s and pa ne ships, including he Uni e si y o Lisbon, Gaswo k, he T iangle Ne wo k and local cul u al associa ions 4 . The p ojec is loca ed in he ib an neighbo hood o G aça 5 , a adi ional qua e ha is now expe iencing a apid p ocess o gen i ica ion and becoming a ou is ic and cul u al des ina ion ha se e al a is ic and cul u al ini ia i es a e ying o con es and sub e . The unc ioning o Hanga is di ec ly connec ed o ha p ocess: he cen e s i es o de eloping a s ong connec ion wi h local audiences, o encou age a is ic exchanges wi h non-Eu opean a is s and cu a o s, and o de elop an ongoing cul u al and esea ch p og am engaging mul iple agen s. A blackboa d loca ed a he en ance o he h ee- loo s building announces he quase-dialy p og amming o he space. Tha includes heo y and p ac ice-base wo kshops, pe o mances, ideo sc eenings, unaná o ba ouk conce s, po lucks o s udio isi s. The audiences ga he ed in hose e en s a y, anging om young local and in e na ional c ea i es o G aça esiden s. Some o hose ac i i ies also con ibu e o he p ojec unding; o ins ance, some o he s udios a e en o gues s and isi ing a is s. Those dynamics o he s udio e eal well some o he ickie issues Hanga and o he simila Po uguese p ocess-o ien ed c ea i e associa ions ha e o deal wi h. Hanga ocuses on pos colonial and diaspo ic issues conce ning se e al geog aphies. Howe e , he cen e has had a special a en ion o A ican a is s. The engagemen o Hanga wi h A ica is amed h ough wo main le els: he cen e ´s p og amming, and he es ablishmen o pa ne ships wi h and he 3 h p://www.hanga .com.p /en/abou / 4 Among hem we can men ion he Uni e si y o Lisbon, he publishing house O eu Neg o o A é ia: A qui ec u a e Reabili açãoo U bana. 5 Loca ed on op o Mou a ia and he Lisbon cas le, G aça is ac ually pa o he F eguesia ( e i o ial dema ca ion) de São Vicen e. The qua e is known o keeping a big numbe o local dwelle s, and o being close o he a eas o Ma im Moniz and In enden e, wo majo a eas inhabi ed by mig an s. counseling o al eady exis ing o eme ging independen , a is -managed spaces in he con inen . Conce ning he i s le el, Hanga has pionee ed a comp ehensi e, non-exhibi ion-based app oach o A ican c ea i i y, encou aging long- e m collabo a ions and in-dep h esea ch. Many o he ac i i ies in ol ing A ican a is s possess a lowe p o ile han ha o la ge- scale, collec i e shows ha can be ound in museums and biennials. Fo example, long- e m esea ch esidencies, in e ac ion wi h se e al “local” communi ies o c i ical con e sa ions and exchanges wi h cu a o s, ellow- a is s and hinke s can be men ioned in his ega d. I ineu Des ou elles om Cape Ve de, René Ta a es om São Tomé, Edson Chagas om Angola o Eu ídice Kala and Má io Macilau om Mozambique a e among he “Lusophone” a is s who de eloped esidencies in Hanga , employing ha ime no only o he p epa a ion o exhibi ions and he p oduc ion o wo k, bu also o engaging wi h Lisbon´s his o y and p esen and in e ac ing wi h he dwelle s and isi o s o G aça. This does no always happen, being ha link dependen o he a is ´s in e es and he kind o esea ch ac i i y she in ends o de elop. In any case, he dynamics included in he Hanga p og amming ep esen a shi conce ning he ways Po uguese c ea i e p ojec s and cul u al ins i u ions engage wi h con empo a y A ican a is ic p ac ices. Those a e in eg a ed, wi hou being “ghe oized”, in o a b oade p og am, escaping cu a o ial classi ica ion and hema iza ion. Fu he mo e, i we look a he a is choice, we will see how young and ela i ely unknown names abound o e a is s wi h an al eady success ul in e na ional ca ee . Thi d, he di e si ica ion o p ac ices beyond exhibi ional and comme cial in e es s make possible he in e ac ion wi h non-a is ic local audiences. Ha ing said ha , i is also necessa y o men ion ha hose in e ac ions a e also embedded wi hin he spa ial logic o accessibili y and isibili y agmen ing and o ganizing Lisbon´s cul u al landscape. Those poin s by no means imply, hen, ha Hanga ´s in e es in A ican a is disconnec ed o he gene al p edicamen I ou lined a he beginning o his ex ; ne e heless, hey ha e o igina ed an unp eceden ed phenomenon, ans o ming Po ugal´s cu a o ial and cul u al a enas. *** In he ollowing con e sa ion I in ended o discuss wi h he ounde s o Hanga some o he issues ou lined in he p e ious ex , paying special a en ion a he cen e ´s in e es in “Lusophone” A ican a . The eason o jux aposing he p e ious insigh s wi h his g oup con e sa ion has o do wi h my own ela ion wi h Hanga . Since i s c ea ion I ha e collabo a ed egula ly wi h Hanga , bo h gi ing alks and pa icipa ing in semina s and ound ables, and also a ending pe o mances and conce s. Th ough his g oup in e iew, my in e es is o analyze how Hanga ´s ounde s see hei posi ion ega ding he con ex o Lisbon and ega ding a b oade ansna ional “Lusophone” amewo k. Ca los Ga ido Wha a e he easons behind he c ea ion o Hanga ? Which needs do you in end o ul ill? B uno Lei ão The Hanga a ose in esponse o di e en wills, bu abo e all because o he need o si ing on he same able a is s, cu a o s and esea che s. This is ou base, unning h ough all Hanga ´s ac i i ies. Resea che s wo k in a pa icula way, cu a o s oo, hey ha e ano he c i e ion in many issues such as he selec ion o a is s, and hose ha e hei own in e es in play. We wan ed o pu hose h ee sphe es oge he . Fu he mo e, we had a in e es in anscending he No h-Sou h di ide, in es ablishing Sou h-Sou h links. The e i o ial scope o Hanga is a - eaching, bu we pu a big emphasis on La in Ame ica and A ica, ocusing mos ly, bu no exclusi ely, on isual a s. This is ou p ima y a ea o in e es . As a esponse o ha , we con igu e a schedule ha ing o do wi h Ame ican and A ican a is s, bu also wi h hei diaspo as, wi hou o ge ing a s ong pa linked o ecen Po uguese a . We ha e a p og am called Po uguese a since 1974, we wan o map ou con empo a y his o y, o app oach people who a e s ill he e o be con ac ed, ali e and ac i e, including cu a o s, c i ics and galle is s. Mónica de Mi anda The Hanga was c ea ed om a cul u al associa ion, Xe em, which was ounded in 2010. Xe em s a ed de eloping a is ic esidencies and cul u al exchanges wi hin he T iangle Ne wo k. Those exchanges we e spo adic, al hough hey g ew in he las yea s, when we s a ed es ablishing pa ne ships wi h A ica and B azil, which c ea ed a mo e in ense and ac i e pano ama, he eo he need o inding a space o he schedule o be pe manen . Then we applied o a call o local de elopmen in he a eas o a and cul u e, we go i , and om he e we c ea ed Hanga . I became a s uc u e la ge han he associa ion behind i , i acqui ed i s own shape, wi h a new eam in eg a ed by people ocusing on speci ic asks. We ha e a ho izon al s uc u e whe e each o us coo dina es a pa and is esponsible o each o he ac i i ies, bu hen we sha e ou poin o iew wi h he es abou all he ini ia i es we de elop. Ou p ojec inhe i s he adi ion and expe ience o a is - un spaces, al hough we a e no only a is s managing he cen e , since we y o os e a mo e ho izon al and less hie a chic dialogue wi h cu a o s, wi h heo y. We belie e ha a is s can widely con ibu e o a mo e a en i e and deepe hough and c i ique, we encou age collabo a ion, we ou pa ake Hanga ´s ou main a eas, which a e esea ch, exhibi ions, esidencies and pa icipa ion. Those ou a eas a e in e ela ed in many ways, o ins ance a wo kshop can u n in o an exhibi ion, an exhibi ion can end up being a con e ence se ies o a esea ch p ocess, his could de elop an exhibi ion, and so on. C Why Lisbon, and mo e speci ically, why he qua e o G aça? Wha does he con ex b ing o Hanga ? B As you know, I ha e a connec ion wi h Mad id, bu o me he good hing o Hanga being he e in Lisbon is ha he e he e is a na u al link wi h A ica, one ha you won´ ind in Mad id, o example. In u n, Mad id is s ongly connec ed wi h La in Ame ica, some hing ha doesn´ happen in Lisbon. Fo me i is like ha ing he bes o bo h wo lds. Mónica has mo e con ac s wi h and knowledge in ela ion o A ica, I am mo e o ien ed o La in Ame ica and No h Eu ope, bu abo e all Spain and La in Ame ica. This is one o ou bigges ad an ages. The ac o being in G aça…I ´s a qua e ha was no endy when we a i e, a i s he loca ion was a bi indi e en , al hough G aça is in e es ing because we a e close o Ma im Moniz, o In enden e, we ha e se e al communi ies a ound he e coming om coun ies we seek o engage wi h. We de elop a wo k ha seeks o gi e a eedback o ou communi y, o c ea e a kind o in e ace wi h he people li ing a ound us. The esul s o ou ac ion o he Bangladeshi, Indian o A ican diaspo ic communi ies inhabi ing hose a eas o Lisbon…I´m no a sociologis , you see, so I canno alk much abou ha , only when we had se e al yea s o ac i i y we would see i he balance is posi i e o wha kind o impac a e we ha ing, bu I know he e is o su e an impac in ou p ac ice. We ied o encou age he encoun e , o example, when we o ganize po lucks wi h he Angolan communi y we in end o a ac pe sons ha ha e no hing o do wi h he a wo ld. We y o call he neighbo s o he Hanga o c ea e ha in e ace. M: G aça was a happy acciden . The place ound us. We we e sea ching o a place and he building we ound wi h he cha ac e is ics we wan ed was in ha neighbo hood. Soon he loca ion became impo an o he p ojec as is an a ea wi h a la ge numbe o mig an communi ies bu also o a e y se led Po uguese popula ion in e ac ing in he same place. We a e in a hill so we can o e look Lisbon, bu a e s ill away om he ou is i ica ion ha is aking place down own. The neighbo hood is s ill e y adi ional, bu also has a cosmopoli an eel s a ing o occu wi h many associa ions and a is s mo ing in o his pa o own. In ou p ojec we in ended o wo k wi h di e en audiences and open he expe ience o con empo a y a no only o he usual suspec s, bu o a mo e di e si ied public. We wan ed a o in e ac wi h e e yday li e, so ha is why we also ha e a public p og am including music e en s ha aim o each ou in o he communi y. I li ed in London o i een yea s, and his dynamic o a is - un spaces in e ac ing wi h hei geog aphical loca ions is na u al o me. In some sense, i was in a way my London backg ound eaching me ha way, I was in ol ed in London in many a p ojec s ha occu ed in inne ci y neighbo hoods like B ix on and Peckham. In some kind o way, I had expo ed his expe ience wi h me o his p ojec . C How do you alua e he in e ac ions ha he Hanga has b ough on ha conce n? B I ´s cu ious, we do no wo k uniquely wi h pos colonial issues, al hough his is one o ou main lines. I hink you a e alking abou an issue ha he e in Po ugal is s ill o be add essed. The e is no much c i icism abou he ma e , I hink ha i is jus ecen ly ha many s u is being de eloped, e en [ he newspape ] O Público did a special se ies on Po ugal´ o me colonies and so on. I hink his is an issue ha in e es s people, bu abou which you could no alk easily, ei he o shame o o amily bonds, some hing ha mos o he imes p o oked si ua ions o shame o hidden p ide in many people. When we s a ed o ganizing ac i i ies a ound hose issues, we ound a huge audience wi hou making any signi ican e o . E e y ime we o ganize ac i i ies no exclusi ely add essing a is ic communi ies, we ind a lo o pa icipa ion, and I hink his is also because o wha I said, because hose ques ions we e o discuss he e in Lisbon. People a e willing o alk abou hose ma e s, and he good hing o being in G aça is ha we do no need o look o he communi ies o mig an s o o he pos colonial eali y o he coun y, hey we e al eady he e wai ing o us. I happens o me some hing ha I ne e expe ienced in Po ugal o in Lisbon, being in an opening and no knowing many o he pe sons ha a e he e. In Lisbon he a wo ld is qui e small, when I wo ked in MauMaus o in he Museu Be a do I knew e e ybody hanging ou in he openings, now he e he e a e many people ha a e new o me. I hink we a i ed in he igh momen o deal wi h hose issues. M. Ou aim is o open he expe ience o con empo a y a o people in gene al and no only o he a c owd. Pos colonial issues in Po ugal a e s ill being deal h ough a mode nis ic app oach, e y ew a is s a e ac ually om a eal pos colonial backg ound. This some imes is an issue ha ghe oizes a is s acco ding o he language hey speak. Howe e , he e is cu en ly a g ea p oduc ion o A ican diaspo ic a is s dealing wi h issues ha a e o hei own. Tha is why when you go o a biennale such as Daka o o e en s such as he Bamako encoun e s, Lusophone a is s a e s ill a mino i y. The e a e only ew Po uguese a is s om an A ican backg ound p ac icing nowadays in Po ugal. Ne e heless, he e is a g ea endency o Po uguese a is s o deal wi h pos colonial issues. Hanga wan s o in e ac wi h his p edicamen , o ha we c ea ed p og ams such as 180º, o aim and encou age young a is s om lusophone con ex s, especially A ican women a is s, o de elop hei p ojec s wi h cu a o ial and p oduc ion suppo . We coun wi h he suppo o he Fundação Callous e Gulbenkian o de elop his p og am. We also ha e wo ked wi h local po en ial a is om he communi y. C Conce ning a is s om A ica and he A ican diaspo a, wha o di e en has he Hanga b ough in ela ion o mo e o icial a ins i u ions? B We ha e a con inuous link wi h A ica, one no limi ed o o ganizing exhibi ions. Mo eo e , we a e making a g ea e o no o ocus exclusi ely on he Lusophone A ica. The exhibi ion we ha e now[Kin] was cu a ed by E a Lang e , a F anco-A geline cu a o li ing in Loondon, and he e a e no Lusophone a is s in he show. We a e ying o open he scope o he whole A ica, no o “Po uguese A ica”. Tha happened as well wi h a p e ious exhibi ion cu a ed by Paul Goodwin, in which a is s such as he O oli h G oup, John Akon ah o Alia Syed pa icipa ed. This is some hing new he e in Po ugal, no mally you will ha e ei he e y well-known names o a is s chosen o being na i e o he o me colonies. We ied o di e si y he deba e abou A ica. M In my case, he e is a pe sonal, a biog aphical in e es in A ica, one ha I also de elop in my a is ic wo k. To his I usually add my long expe ience wi h he A ican diaspo a in London, c ea ing links ha a e now being de eloped in Hanga h ough pa ne ships. The collabo a ion wi h Paul Goodwin and E a Lang e , wi h whom I wo ked in London, came ha way. They a e managing wo p ojec s ha a e ele an o he in e na ional pano ama o pos colonial a such as he Tiwani galle y and T ain esea ch cen e a Chelsea College o A s. This pa ne ship ga e ise o main exhibi ions a Hanga (Ghos s and Kin), which b ough many o he geog aphies om A ica and hei diaspo as o Lisbon. The e we e a is s om Sou h A ica, Nige ia o Kenia pa icipa ing, bu also names such as John Ak o ah o he O oli h G oup, which a e cen al in he pos colonial and he A ican diaspo a a scenes. Some o hese a is s, especially hose aking pa in he Kin exhibi ion, we e showing in Po ugal o he i s ime. Some o hem a e no so known he e al hough hei in e na ional ecogni ion is huge. So we a e con ibu ing o open new b idges o a discou se ha is loca ed in Lisbon bu communica es wi h he ou side. C Wha kind o app oaches on he a o he PALOP coun ies ha e been de eloped in Po ugal? Wha a e he p edominan discou ses on ha ma e ? B The e is a high deg ee o pa e nalism s ill in play. The e is a high deg ee o incapaci y when coming o y o pe cei e he speci ici ies o each con ex , wha each cul u e has o i s own. The e we e no so many exhibi ions abou A ica, no in ol ing A ican a is s o a is s om he A ican diaspo a, al hough i is a g owing phenomenon. Tha has o do, o cou se, wi h he ma ke abili y o he issue, bu I hink all his p ocess is somehow s a ing now, i is no ha he e we e no p eceden s bu …The e a e also cases in which en i e exhibi ions p epa ed o o he coun ies we e impo ed wi hou any c i ical conce n on his ac . We a e c ea ing exhibi ions speci ically c ea ed o he Hanga , ei he by people om o he coun ies o o ou sel es, bu always keeping in mind wha he Hanga is. M: The e is s ill a lo o be done. The eal inpu needs o come om he a is s hemsel es and a ma ke and con ex ha knows and unde s ands wha does i mean “Lusophone A ican a ”. I is no only an exo ic p oduc o be consumed in a ai s, o he poli ical agenda o councils o s udy mig a ion h ough he a s; i is a cul u al mani es a ion wi h i s own discou ses. Bu o ha o happen, he a is s a e esponsible o lead he mo emen , e using being puppe s in he hands o ins i u ions o ou moded mode nis ic colonial app oaches om a c i ics, cu a o s o museums. C To wha ex en is he g owing a en ion on con empo a y a om he PALOPS is connec ed o he eali y o he a o-descendan s li ing in Po ugal? M F om he beginning we ied o in eg a e he A ican communi ies li ing in Lisbon in ou schedule. The ques ion o he a o-descendan s in Po ugal is a icky one. Fi s , he e a e ew a is s o A ican o igin bo n he e, e y ew, you can coun us wi h he inge s o one hand. Then you ha e Po uguese a is s dealing wi h pos colonial issues. The e is also a communi y o a is s who a e al eady Po uguese, hey li e he e, bu hey we e bo n in A ica, he e o e hey will no i he ca ego y o a o-descendan s al hough hey ha e Po uguese passpo . They a e A icans, I would no call hem a o-descendan s. Mo eo e , mos o he a o-descendan s do no call hemsel es ha . They jus call hemsel es a is s. Finally, he e in Po ugal he e lacks a c i ical backg ound like he one you will ind in F ance o England, wi h cen e s, long-las ing pla o ms and so on. He e we lack heo e icians, a is s, c i ics o w i ing he