The Nubuke Foundation will welcome Italian artist Alberto Gianfreda for “Roar and Crash,” an interactive workshop combining exploration, creation, and teaching within the realm of sculpting, scheduled from September 2 to 6, 2025.
Developed out of an aspiration for shared comprehension and cross-cultural interaction, the initiative delves into subjects such as preconceptions and the reductionist portrayal of “faraway locations,” aiming instead for genuine interactions and deep, two-way understanding among individuals, creative expressions, and societies. Central to Roar and Crash is a metaphorical and cooperative approach: ceramics creatures crafted manually in Italy will be integrated with Ghanian ceramic containers via actions involving breaking apart and rebuilding.
This innovative method, introduced by Gianfreda, will be explored and enhanced with the involvement of emerging Ghanaian artists. The closeness and blending of elements from various cultural backgrounds will lead to distinctive, continuously changing sculpture designs formed via an ongoing cycle of breaking apart and reconstructing within a malleable metallic structure.
Gianfreda highlights how this artistic process serves as a venue for contemplation, dialogue, and mutual comprehension. “Breaking an item, although distressing and unsettling, is essential for various traditions to come together without one overshadowing the other. A whole object might seem bigger, stronger, or more significant within a piece, but fragments—regardless of their variations—carry equivalent worth and importance.”
The outcomes from the workshop will be shared with the general audience on Saturday, September 6, 2025, starting at 12:00 pm at the Nubuke Foundation located in Accra, where the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Laura Ranalli, will attend. This will be followed by an interview with the artist. The exhibition will continue throughout September 2025.
This effort is an integral component of the Erasmus International Programme, implemented jointly with the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna (Italy), Sunyani Technical University (Ghana), and artist and instructor Frederick Ebenezer Okai, under the support of the Embassy of Italy in Ghana. Special appreciation goes to Silvia Zanella, a cultural advocate and project manager, for enabling communication and links among the participating organizations, as well as for her continuous dedication to promoting Italian-Ghanaian cultural interaction.
The Nubuke Foundation is an independent visual arts and cultural organization located in Accra, Ghana. Established in 2006, it acts as a hub for artistic and cultural activities throughout the nation, encouraging both new and experienced Ghanaians in their creative endeavors. Its initiatives consist of exhibits, discussions about art, conferences, training sessions, and areas dedicated to theater, verse, musical performances, and cinematic partnerships. The Nubuke Foundation is part of the Arts Collaboratory Network.
The Arts Collaboratory (AC) brings together 25 distinct cultural organizations across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. AC functions as a trans-local environment, emphasizing artistic approaches and methods driving societal transformation, and engaging with groups both inside and outside the creative sector.
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