IMAMOU
In the Beginning There Was Water

Organized by

Kettly Mars
Senior Fellow 2023–2024

Informations

Venue: University of Zurich, Department of Romance Studies, Library,
Zürichbergsrasse 8, 8032 Zurich

Opening hours:
Mon–Fri. 8:00–19:00

This is a public exhibition. Participation is free of charge and registration is not required.

In Haitian Vodou, Agwe is the ruler of the waves of the sea. He is the protector of sailors and ships, but also of the animals and plants of the sea. His ship, IMAMOU, is said to transport the souls of the dead to the afterlife. He created the salt water tears to mourn the deceased and helped the souls of those who suffered crimes against humanity in the slave trade. The Agwe festivals take place on the shore, where his boat is launched in a symbolic procession.

Based on the mystical boat IMAMOU, this exhibition explores the artistic and literary expressions of Haitian spirituality, which are linked to the sea, departure, navigation, and (new) beginnings. What stories does the water tell? What images, texts, and rituals enable Haitians to (re)connect with ancestors and nature, heal individual and collective traumas of past colonial violence, and deal with everyday demands such as political instability, the movements of the earth and bodies, and the effects of global warming on the maritime ecosystem?

Exhibited artists: Laura Arminda Kingsley, Sasha Huber and Tessa Mars.

Opening event

In collaboration with

Visiting Professorship for French Literature and Culture

Department of Romance Studies
University of Zurich

Informations

Curated by Keabetswe Boccomino (Afrinova).

With the support of Auxartsetc., l’Alliance Française de Zurich, and ASAZ.