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EP12: Memory, Performance, Healing and Celebration in the Photographic works of Lebohang Kganye.

In the 12th Episode of Dots of Thoughts, Emeka Okereke reflects on the photographic work of Lebohang Kganye. Ke Lefa Laka: Her-story,  was realised in 2013. It explores the relationship between Lebohang Kganye and her mother, who passed on three years earlier. She employs the techniques of double exposure and superimposition to “re-enter” the life…

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EP11: 21st Century Photographers Re-articulate The Continent – with Ekow Eshun

“There is no simplicity or singleness to Africanness”, Ekow says. One might think that this needn’t be said in 2021. This is precisely what this book hopes to achieve: These photographers show that such concerns have become secondary to image-makers of today.

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EP10: Time does not pass. We, on the other hand, pass through it – and make forms of it (Part 3) with J. Redza

In this episode of “Time Does Not Pass. We, on the other hand, pass through it – and make forms of it”, Emeka Okereke (Berlin) is in conversation with J. Redza (Kuala Lumpur). They reflect on the idea of Time in relation to age(ing). This episode can be best described as a “rumination between millennials”….

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EP09: Time does not pass. We, on the other hand, pass through it – and make forms of it (Part 2) with Jude Anogwih

“I am looking at Time as an element of art, an element of expression not as a clock or calendar. I am looking at the capacity you have as an individual to define a progression of your existence and your event.” In this episode, which continues our reflection on Time, Emeka Okereke is in conversation…

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EP08: Time does not pass. We, on the other hand, pass through it – and make forms of it (part 1)

We often hear such expressions as “Time passes”. “Don’t waste time”. “Buy time”. “Spend time”. But, is time quantifiable in the sense we use it? Isn’t it a paradox, this inclination to contain what contains us? These are some of the thoughts (and more) foregrounding this reflection on and about time. This podcast is an…

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EP08: “If I write for them, it means I am removing myself from my source”. Nkata with Niq Mhlongo

Niq Mhlongo (b. 1973, Soweto) is a South African writer born in Johannesburg. Today, he is considered “one of the most high-spirited, irreverent voices of post-apartheid South African literary scene”. So far, he has seven books to his name including Dog Eat Dog, Soweto Under The Apricot Tree, Black Tax and, still fresh from the…

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EP07: The Legacy of Queen’s College – A Perspective on Radical Education for Women in Nigeria.

Founded in 1927, Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria is part of a formidable legacy addressing the gender disparities between male and female education in Nigeria spearheaded by a group of women who contributed to the founding of this country’s first government-owned secondary school for girls. The six years I spent in Queen’s College between 1993-1999…

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EP07: “Our subalterns have not sold out; our youngsters have not sold out”. Nkata with Shahidul Alam

Shahidul Alam (b.1955) is a Bangladeshi photojournalist, teacher and social activist. He has been a photographer for more than 40 years. His life and work can invariably be summarised as a service to society, culture and humanity. While in Dhaka in February 2020, Emeka Okereke visited Alam at his home – same apartment from which he was arrested and thrown in jail in 2018. This episode is the result of their extensive conversation about his life and work – his childhood, parents, family and dedication to social justice in Bangladesh.

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EP06: Mama Margeret of Afroshop Tropical Markt – 25 Years of Making Life Matter in Berlin.

For 25 years, Madam Margaret Opambour-Adjei has run the Afroshop Tropical Markt, in Neukölln Berlin, where she sells foodstuffs, cosmetics and fabrics mainly from West Africa. Originally from Ghana, she migrated to Germany in 1988. In this episode, Emeka Okereke visited her shop during which they discussed various aspect of the movement of African food…

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EP05: Dalit, A Quest For Dignity – Relating Image-Making to World-Making Through a Photo Book

In this Episode, Emeka Okereke (Berlin) connects, through a phone conversation, with Diwas Raja (Kathmandu) – writer, scholar and Lead Researcher at the Nepal Picture Library. Their discussion expands on the intentions and the operative premise of the photography book, “Dalit, A Quest For Dignity” of which Diwas is the editor. The book, which is…

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