YUSSEF AGBO–OLA: 7 RIVERS IN BONE ASH

KÖNIG TELEGRAPHENAMT is pleased to present the solo exhibition 7 RIVERS IN BONE ASH by Yussef Agbo-Ola.

September 11 – November 16, 2024

7 RIVERS IN BONE ASH showcases objects that reference ancestral artifacts traditionally used to honor connections to the non-human world. In Yoruba culture, every form of matter possesses a living spirit, and this exhibition serves as a sacred space, holding vessels for unseen environmental entities and inviting viewers to reflect on the invisible aspects of the natural world. With this in mind each work acts as a poetic expression in making the small, fragile and forgotten, large, crystalised, and remembered.

The focal point of the exhibition is a womblike wooden structure, draped with knitted red fabric. SAKO: 12 SEED ALTAR serves as a space for introspection, allowing reflection on the unseen nutrient exchanges between seeds and soil. The design draws inspiration from the internal forms of various medicinal seeds from the Amazon Forest, while symbolically representing the fertilization process that occurs underground.

The altar features an open middle layer where knitted fabrics interconnect in a web resembling the ribosome networks found beneath the forest floor. From a side view, the altar illustrates the three layers of earth, forming a womb-like structure where a seed undergoes transformation before resurfacing. The work honors the farming rituals of the Yoruba culture and reflects on harvest ceremonies.

Belief systems and religions across the world often assign significant roles to environmental elements. Agbo-Ola questions the origins of these beliefs, practices, and values, and the degree to which they influence our relationships and interactions with our surroundings.