White Cube - on positionality, the white saviour complex and sustainable solutions (Part One)

2022-04-07

This week on Eziokwu, Speaking Truths we take a critical look at the documentary film ‘White Cube’ by dutch artist Renzo Martens. White Cube, a powerful and provocative dissection of art, class and decolonisation, follows the Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATCP) a plantation workers’ cooperative based on a former Unilever plantation in the Congolese town of Lusanga. They attempt to end the destructive system of monoculture on their lands – by building a gallery on it, the ‘w...

This week on Eziokwu, Speaking Truths we take a critical look at the documentary film ‘White Cube’ by dutch artist Renzo Martens. White Cube, a powerful and provocative dissection of art, class and decolonisation, follows the Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATCP) a plantation workers’ cooperative based on a former Unilever plantation in the Congolese town of Lusanga. They attempt to end the destructive system of monoculture on their lands – by building a gallery on it, the ‘white cube’ that is the title of the film.

We are joined by Teesa Bahana, Mike Mavura, Ukhona Mlandu and Dr Njoki Ngumi. In this first episode of a two part series, we consider complex questions around power, resource extraction and the role that art plays in community.

*SPOILER WARNING - the podcast episode contains spoilers throughout in reference to the documentary. To see the film’s trailer, go to the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_HJ64ytwRE

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