“Negative Monuments”: On Otobong Nkanga’s Social Formalism and Urgent Form

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract / Description of output

The essay, for the bilingual (English/German) exhibition catalogue Unearthed, situates the work of Otobong Nkanga in the history of art but also the history of the contemporary across art and society. The essay relates the artist's approach to the environment, colonialism, humanity to the workings of capitalism, the unfolding of energy wars, and elaborates on the notions of 'social formalism' and 'negative monument' as the keys to the crirtical interpretation of the artist's work.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationUNEARTHED OTOBONG NKANGA
Subtitle of host publicationExhibition catalogue : "Unearthed" from 23 | 10 | 2021 – 06 | 03 | 2022 at KUB
EditorsThomas D Trummer
PublisherKunsthaus Bregenz
Pages40-53
ISBN (Print)375330025X
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • eniromental art
  • contemporary art
  • monument
  • otobong nkanga

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