Museu Tàpies Presents Serge Attukwei Clottey’s “Beyond the Skin” Project

Museu Tàpies in Barcelona proudly presents “Beyond the Skin,” an innovative project by Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey, curated by museum director Imma Prieto. Running until December 2024, this project features diverse components, including an installation on the museum’s façade, a public procession, a performance, a film series by Sarah Maldoror, and an international seminar. “Beyond the Skin” addresses environmental crises, migrations, and the global economic system, highlighting their roots in colonial heritage.

Clottey’s concept of Afrogalonism confronts global material culture by repurposing found materials, notably yellow plastic gallon containers. These containers, widely seen across Africa, symbolize not only geopolitical history but also the region’s neocolonial present. Through his work, Clottey reflects on the economic and migratory realities of Africa, using recycled materials to provoke thought and discussion.

This is Clottey’s first project in Catalonia and Spain. His main installation, “Afterlife Voyage,” occupies the museum’s façade. Originally showcased in Ghana and later at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, these materials have been reimagined in a collaborative three-week workshop. Participants included members of the Afro-descendant community Periferia Cimarronas and Einaidea, a cultural research and programming platform of Fundació Eina.

The project also includes a public parade titled “Silent Steps, Dance, Sound Memories” on July 2, from the center of Barcelona to the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, in collaboration with the Grec Festival of Barcelona and EINA University. Additionally, Clottey will direct “The Coal Men” on July 3 at Periferia Cimarronas, a performance focusing on the impacts of migration and displacement.

In the autumn, the project will shift focus to education, featuring a program designed to foster reflection on key contemporary issues such as colonial history, migration, and the environmental crisis. A film series dedicated to Sarah Maldoror will be presented, with attendance by her daughter, Annouchka de Andrade, and other film theorists specializing in the African diaspora. This collaboration includes the Filmoteca de Catalunya and the Institut Français de Barcelona.

An international seminar titled “Architectures of the Skin, from the Body to the Street” will also be held. This educational initiative, developed in partnership with various Barcelona institutions, aims to democratize knowledge and encourage collective responsibility. Imma Prieto emphasizes the importance of understanding our history and its influence on our present, viewing it as a porous skin that connects us to a shared memory. The project seeks to activate past and present stories, fostering a communal exercise in respecting and learning from history.