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Following over fifty editions delving into the worldwide Black diaspora, this marks a last piece. The journey has been incredibly fulfilling, with great gratitude directed to all the dedicated audience.

Inside Accra Cultural Week

Attending the displays, installations and shows of Accra Cultural Week, observers witness how the finest art feeds and builds a nation's heritage and identity. The highlight was without doubt Serge Attukwei Clottey’s exquisite [Dis]Appearing Rituals: An Open Lab of Now for Tomorrow, which put his pioneering afrogallonism for all to see: a concept that reimagines yellow jerrycans into mesmerizing creations, mosaics of yellow, brass and gold. The exhibition was conceived as a testament to the endurance of the historic district, a historical quarter of Accra.

The community – predominantly home to the Ga community, a fishing community – is also where many returning Africans came back from South America and established themselves in the 1830s. Referred to as the Tabom, they brought Portuguese tongue and traditions.

Throughout Jamestown, you can see a mix of architecture. You'll find a historic building, featuring its unique Portuguese construction and door arches. Another landmark is the prominent Jamestown Lighthouse, erected in the 1800s and later sporting its signature striped exterior.

Traditions of Mourning

Furthermore remarkable about Jamestown is the ubiquitous presence of funeral posters. Everywhere you turn, be it plastered over alleyways or on larger signboards, one finds funeral details and phrases of loss. In Jamestown, as throughout Ghana, memorial services are major communal events.

In Clottey’s breathtaking installation, the entirety of the sensory and spiritual landscape of Jamestown are evoked – notably in the immersive shoreline work. Within it, visitors are calmed by the sound of ocean surf with granules on the floor, while beach huts, nets and depictions of vessels pay homage to its spirited, long-standing fishing community. But standing in this venue, it's hard to ignore the mountains of discarded clothing that threaten the aesthetics and tranquillity of the region.

Beyond the Centrepiece

Accra Cultural Week also features much more. Within an unfinished structure at the local university, artist Reginald Sylvester II showcased a deeply moving minimalist collection, an emotionally powerful, minimalist presentation that displayed three-dimensional works and artworks created in collaboration with welders.

And then there is the prestigious art award for female Ghanaian artists. It featured the first solo show of a 2024 winner, whose work utilizes familial archival records to craft a depiction of life in the nation's recent history. The event also announced a new champion, whose varied work is intensely focused on the weaving practices of women in a specific region.

A Permanent Presence

Although the overseas community has increasingly been drawn back to Ghana in the winter months, an increasing number are considering visiting earlier in the year to immerse themselves in the area's artistic calendar. Between this festival and other major events, what is evident are creative communities that are not simply emerging or “rising” but have built up an entire landscape that is enduring.

In the end, the experience leaves one with a vision of Accra that serves as a declaration for conservation and the safeguarding of heritage. It is a resonant tribute to resilience in all its forms.