In a bold move to redefine the contours of cultural memory and historical narrative, the Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation and the Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Y.S.F.) have announced the inaugural Re:assemblages Symposium, a transformative two-day event scheduled for November 4–5, 2025, at Alliance Française de Lagos (9 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria). Timed to coincide with the vibrant energy of Lagos Art Week, this landmark gathering promises to convene artists, archivists, curators, scholars, publishers, and cultural practitioners from across the globe. The symposium aims to collectively rethink African and Afro-diasporic archives not as static repositories of the past, but as living, contested, and future-shaping spaces that pulse with potential for research, cultural production, and cross-continental exchange.
The Re:assemblages Symposium marks the launch of the second phase of the broader Re:assemblages program (2025–26), a comprehensive two-year initiative dedicated to reimagining the pivotal role of archives in shaping both African and global art histories. This ambitious endeavor was born in direct response to the Picton Archive—a remarkable collection of rare African-published journals, magazines, and manuscripts housed at G.A.S. Foundation. By reframing these archives as dynamic infrastructures rather than dusty relics, the program challenges traditional notions of preservation, emphasizing their capacity to foster ongoing dialogues and innovations. A second symposium is already on the horizon for autumn 2026, where participants will build on the initial conversations to develop a practical toolkit of adaptive archival practices, equipping future generations with tools to navigate and revitalize these vital resources.
At its core, the Lagos symposium is structured around four meticulously crafted conceptual strands—Ecotones, The Short Century, Annotations, and The Living Archive—each designed to provoke deep reflection and actionable insight.
The first strand, Ecotones, delves into transitional zones where ecologies, communities, and knowledge systems intersect and overlap. Drawing on the metaphor of ecotones as liminal spaces of flux and fertility, the symposium will explore these intersections through a series of presentations and workshops. Participants will envision “Afro-ecotones” spanning the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, highlighting how these oceanic boundaries have historically served as sites of migration, resistance, and cultural hybridity.
The second strand, The Short Century, revisits the pivotal era from 1945 to 1994—a catalytic period marked by African independence movements, decolonization struggles, and explosive bursts of cultural production. This theme pays homage to the seminal exhibition The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa, 1945–1994, curated by the visionary Okwui Enwezor. By revisiting this framework, the symposium reassesses how archives from this “short century” continue to inform contemporary discourses on sovereignty, identity, and artistic liberation.
Annotations, the third strand, probes the margins, silences, and archival absences that have long plagued historical records. Through experimental literary and performative strategies, this segment will unearth hidden narratives and alternative epistemologies, transforming overlooked fragments into powerful testaments of resilience and reinvention. Attendees can expect innovative approaches that blend text, performance, and multimedia to annotate and amplify voices that have been systematically erased or sidelined.
Finally, The Living Archive reimagines archives and libraries as active, artist-led, and community-centered sites of care, restitution, and creative transformation. Moving beyond passive storage, this strand positions archives as regenerative ecosystems that foster social and political vitality. The symposium will pose provocative questions: How can archives be regenerated to serve as hubs of communal healing and innovation? Through immersive performances, readings, dynamic panels, and hands-on workshops, participants will explore strategies for making these spaces more inclusive, responsive, and forward-looking.
AAL Lab: Connecting African Archives Across Continents
In a groundbreaking development, the symposium will also serve as the inaugural public convening of the African Arts Libraries Lab (AAL Lab), a pioneering network spearheaded by G.A.S. Foundation and Y.S.F. This collective unites African arts libraries and publishers across Lagos, Dakar, Marrakesh, Cairo, Nairobi, Cape Town, and Limbe, promoting collaborative research, capacity-building, and pan-African exchange. Extending its reach further, the Lab’s Affiliates Network engages global institutions that steward significant African and Afro-diasporic collections, forming a transnational web of knowledge-sharing.
Each AAL Lab convening will culminate in a micro-publication documenting its outcomes. These concise outputs will feed into the Archive Futures Repository, a living digital resource designed to advance African-led models of archival stewardship. This repository will provide tools, case studies, and frameworks to support evolving archival care practices—ensuring that the symposium’s insights ripple outward for years to come.
Symposium Highlights: A Day-by-Day Deep Dive
The two-day program combines theory, performance, and experimentation in equal measure.
Day 1: Ecotones & The Living Archive (November 4, 2025)
Venue: Alliance Française de Lagos
09:00 – 09:30 | Opening Performance:
untitled [for Badagry: after the head of the sand, an uncountable duration, and/or a profusion] by Adjoa Armah (Amphitheatre)
10:00 – 11:30 | Keynote Roundtable: How will we share this earth? Situating Afro-Ecotones along the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans
Moderated by Missla Libsekal, Janine Francois, Ala Praxis, and Eve Oishi, this discussion explores ecological and diasporic interconnections through a site-specific reading of Lagos Lagoon as an ecotonal space of care and resistance.
12:00 – 13:15 | Keynote Panel: Destabilising the Archive: Towards Ecosystems of Repair and Revival
Featuring Ore Disu (MOWAA), Samba Yonga (Women’s History Museum, Zambia), and Amanda Maples (NOMA). This conversation rethinks restitution as a process of living exchange and repair.
15:25 – 16:40 | Panel 2: The Living Archive: Propositions for Collections into the Future
Chaired by Ann Marie Peña, featuring Michelle Jacques, Azu Nwagbogu, and Jago Cooper, this session explores participatory archives that prioritize accessibility and cultural sovereignty.
16:45 – 17:45 | Panel 3: Rematriating the Archive
Led by Cheryl Finley, with Sylvia Arthur (LOATAD), Aisha Augie, and Jareh Das, the panel highlights women-led archival regeneration rooted in matriarchal knowledge systems and oral traditions.
20:00 – 22:00 | Film Screening: Sister, Sister
Directed by Olukemi Lijadu, this film screening at G.A.S. Foundation reimagines the music and legacy of the Lijadu Sisters as a living archive of devotion and resistance.
Day 2: The Short Century & Annotations (November 5, 2025)
09:00 – 09:35 | Reading: Annotations in Four Acts
With Naima Hassan, Maryam Kazeem, Robyn Simpson, and Ufuoma Ogbemudje, this performance resurrects silenced voices from FESTAC ’77 and pan-African festivals through poetic annotation.
11:00 – 11:45 | Panel 1: Catalysing African Collecting Futures
Chaired by Bimpe Nkontchou, featuring Femi Akinsanya, Kayode Adegbola, and Osahon H. Okunbo, exploring collecting as cultural legacy and preservation.
11:50 – 12:50 | Discussion: Reading Ecologies – Transforming Publishing in Africa
Dr. Nadine Siegert in conversation with E.N. Mirembe on the future of independent African publishing as a collaborative ecosystem.
14:00 | Keynote Panel: Curatorial History and African Archives
Serubiri Moses, Tumelo Mosaka, and Kemi Ilesanmi explore curatorial strategies that bridge historical archives and future art networks.
Note: Parallel workshops and performances—including Healing the Damned, The Library as a Divination Site, and The Unruly Archive—will run throughout both days. Registration for these sessions will open ahead of the symposium.
Behind the Scenes: Visionaries and Institutional Pillars
At the helm of this visionary project are the intertwined legacies of Y.S.F. and G.A.S. Foundation, both established in 2019 by Yinka Shonibare CBE, the trailblazing British-Nigerian artist renowned for his explorations of colonialism, identity, and cultural hybridity.
Y.S.F., a UK-registered charity (no. 1183321), serves as the fundraising and strategic backbone, while G.A.S. Foundation, based in Lagos and Ogun State, provides the physical and intellectual framework for residencies, public programs, and research. Together, they nurture creative experimentation and cross-continental collaboration.
The symposium has been expertly curated by Naima Hassan, with coordination by Samantha Russell and thematic contributions from Maryam Kazeem, Ann Marie Peña, and Jonn Gale.
The programme planning committee includes Belinda Holden, Moni Aisida, Samantha Russell, Naima Hassan, Maryam Kazeem, Ann Marie Peña, Jonn Gale, and Catherine Bardi.
The advisory committee comprises Dr. Beatrix Gassmann de Sousa, Natasha Ginwala, Dr. Rangoato Hlasane, Serubiri Moses, and Dr. Oluwatoyin Zainab Sogbesan.
Funders: Champions of African Cultural Futures
Re:assemblages 2025–26 is made possible through the generous support of:
- Terra Foundation for American Art
- Afreximbank Art Program (AFAP)
- The Osahon Okunbo Foundation (TOOF)
- Bank of America
- Bookcraft Africa, which also generously printed the symposium booklet
Practical Information
Venue Accessibility: Alliance Française de Lagos offers partial wheelchair access (ramps to the restaurant and main auditorium; amphitheatre, dance studio, and classrooms accessible via stairs). Meals and refreshments will be available at Eric Kayser Café on site.
Contact:
Press enquiries – Marina Cochrane, +44 7595 326584, marina.cochrane.arts@gmail.com
Local coordination – Catherine Bardi, +234 807 313 0920, catherine@guestartistsspace.com
Explore more:
🔗 guestartistsspace.com/Programmes/Reassemblages-Symposium
🎟️ Tickets: tix.africa/reassemblagessymposium
📸 Social:
IG – @yinkashonibarefoundation (#YinkaShonibareFoundation #YSF)
IG – @gasfoundation (#GuestArtistsSpace #GASFoundation)
This symposium isn’t just an event—it’s a clarion call for archives reborn, where Africa’s past propels a more equitable and imaginative future. As Lagos hums with artistic energy, Re:assemblages stands poised to etch an indelible mark on the global cultural landscape.
