“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold….”
Written by Yeats, repurposed by Achebe, the pristine clarity of ‘The Second Coming”s immortal couplet has, in the 100-odd years since its first publication, been the aphorism of choice to explain/excuse everything from de-fi crypto anarchism to gravitational entropy. All systems must perish; empires must fall, the wicker man must burn.
Post-colonial discourse loves this stuff. The defiant glee of the once-subjugated underling finally watching the aristocrat’s head roll from the guillotine is a caustic ichor running through populist ideology. Find it in the burned ashes of a cricket bail, or, arguably, in the chanted 2016 war-cry of ‘Lock her up’.
But if the centre cannot hold, what becomes more interesting is the webbed network of connections which preceded, and survives, it. The routes, relationships and relocations that always existed beneath the smothering algae of empire.
Commonalities are not always obvious; those shared by South Korea and Kenya less obvious than many. Yet there is a shared experience between the two that may be more bonding than physical geography or genetic divergence would suggest. As ever, when circumstance requires us to look beneath the immediate surface, it is to the penetrating vision of artists that we turn for guidance.
Featuring works by Oh Myung Hee, Prina Shah, and Nadia Wamunyu, Nairobi National Museum‘s Dance to the Rhythm of My Soul explores the unexpected, though long-established, connection between Kenya and Korea. On view at the Nairobi National Museum 1 – 31 August
Extract from exhibition notes:
Celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Kenya, the eagerly awaited exhibition Dance to the Rhythm of My Soul arrives at the Nairobi National Museum this August for a dazzling month-long run.
Central to the exhibition is ‘Nowness,’ exploring contemporary identity from a female perspective. Dance to the Rhythm of My Soul dives into our sense of self through the intricate lens of memory, weaving together diverse yet shared cultural experiences across Asia and Africa.
Kenya and Korea share a vibrant history rooted in rich heritage and proud national identities – but both nations also overcame colonization; Kenya by the British and Korea by the Japanese – who even banned the Korean language. Despite these challenges, their cultural heritages have thrived and continue to blaze their own paths.
For the first time, this exhibition unites three brilliant, internationally acclaimed artists – Oh Myung Hee, Prina Shah, and Nadia Wamunyu – whose works transcend cultural and temporal boundaries, offering profound insights into identity shaped by personal, collective, and cultural memory.
Venue: Nairobi National Museum, Museum Hill, Westlands Road
Nairobi, Kenya
Dates: August 1st – August 31st, 2024
An observer first and foremost, Sean Keenan takes what he sees and forges words from the pictures. Media, critique, exuberant analysis and occasional remorse.
