Counter Thoughts. Counter Images is the culmination of a one year project with the city of Bonn, specifically, the cultural office, Kulturamt. The background of the exhibition draws reference from Post-Colonial traces in Bonn as sourced from the Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung) website. The Agency detailed “six stations“(locations/people) in the city where German colonialism and racism were/are still evident in Bonn’s landscape . For the original documentation, see “Kolonial Spuren in Bonn”, www. bpb.de

Among them are colonial societies/Konrad Adenauer, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Carneval, Beethovenhaus, Völkerschauen (Human Zoos), and the grave of Lothar Von Trotha. In a series of installation and art tapestries, the artist has prepared works as a source of contemplation or as a critical alternative perspective in Counter Thoughts, Counter Images. Other sources of inspiration drawn from discussions with the Museum include a wider network of inter-relationships within the colonial empire including the Long Salt March/ Dandi Salt March 1930, initiated by Mahatma Ghandi to protest the British salt law, Osnaburg, a coarse plain-weave fabric, the cloth of black enslaved people, produced in the city of Osnabrück, Germany, coffee, sugar, cotton……all products which have a colonial exploitation racistic history. The main objectives of the artistic endeavour, apart from highlighting and reflection of historical and current events which perpetuate discrimination and inequality, socially, economically or politically, are to promote awareness of other stories whether in the form of freedom for justice fighters, as in the case of Namibian Thomas Maharero and Cameroonian Rudolf Duala Manga Bell, or of the musical genius of black violinists George Bridgetower (Beethoven’s contemporary) and Joseph Bologne. Counter Thoughts, Counter Images is a walk through memory lane and you are cordially invited to walk along with me…….