In The Wake Of Our Archives: On Transmission and Inherited Memories
© Credits: Ethel Tawe, 2025
In The Wake Of Our Archives: On Transmission and Inherited Memories
Nigra Iuventa — Networks of the Black Atlantic: Heritage, Knowledge and Solidarity Symposium
Opening Reception on, Friday November 18, 2025, at 7:15 PM.
Exhibition open from November 13 to December 6, 2025.
Conference “Establish connected cultural venues dedicated to African, Caribbean and diasporic creations and cultures (Martinique/Guyane)” on November 18, 2025, from 1 to 2 PM. Free, tickets available online.
Roundtable “Establish connected cultural venues dedicated to African, Caribbean and diasporic creations and cultures” on November 18, 2025, from 6 to 7 PM. Free, tickets available online.
In The Wake Of Our Archives: On Transmission and Inherited Memories is an exhibition that delves into the intimacy and affective nature of family archives and oral accounts. It poses the question, “How do we relate to and embody inherited memories?”
Taking cues from Stuart Hall’s reflections on the Living Archive, the term archive here is approached not only as evidence or recount of the past, but also as a testimony to the voids in time and history. It is approached as a holistic and dynamic body that offers, in its incompleteness, the possibility to inhabit and continuously reassess the past, in search of that which was omitted. In this vein, the exhibition brings together Ethel-Ruth Tawe and Mallory Lowe Mpoka, two artists whose practices are deeply rooted within intergenerational transmission and archival custodianship.
Exhibition curated by Diane Gistal (Nigra Iuventa) and Billy Fowo (Savvy Contemporary). The exhibition is presented in two iterations at articule (November 2025) and the Alliance Française (January 2026) within the framework of the RAN symposium.
© Credits: Mallory Lowe Mpoka, 2025.
Organization
Nigra Iuventa is a key player whose achievements amplify the influence of Black artists in contemporary art. With its consolidated capacities and lasting strategic partnerships, the organization creates spaces of opportunity that generate significant and recognized artistic, cultural and social benefits.
Networks of the Black Atlantic: Heritage, Knowledge and Solidarity Symposium
The symposium is a project of Nigra Iuventa, organized in partnership with the Consulate General of France in Quebec City and the Goethe-Institut de Montréal, and made possible by the generous support of the Franco-German Cultural Fund. Curated by Diane Gistal, this event is a testament to the international collaboration between Quebec, France and Germany. It fosters cultural and intellectual exchange around the heritage of the Black Atlantic, promoting a transnational dialogue.
Curators
© Credits: Orphée Okito
Diane Gistal is a French independent curator of Haitian origin, based in Canada. Through her practice, she interrogates the dynamics of the Black Atlantic and the processes of constructing cultural narratives, exploring the intersections between the visual arts, literature and the humanities. Her work unfolds through exhibitions, research programs and curatorial initiatives that reactivate the memory, archives and practices of artistic resistance of African and Afrodescendant diasporas. She is the founder and director of Nigra Iuventa.
© Credits: Marvin Systermans
Billy Fowo (SAVVY Contemporary), is a curator and writer with points of interest in various fields such as the sonic, linguistics, and literature. He graduated from de Appel’s Curatorial Programme in 2023 and lives in Berlin, where he works for SAVVY Contemporary – The Laboratory of Form-Ideas.
Artists
© Credits: Odéon Davis
Mallory Lowe Mpoka (b.1996) is a Cameroonian-Belgian artist based in Montreal. Her expanded photographic practice explores memory, place, and identity through weaving, ceramics, and sculpture. Engaging personal archives and colonial legacies, her work bridges continents and histories. She has exhibited internationally and is currently presenting a solo show at Fonderie Darling during Momenta Biennale in 2025.
© Credits: Courtesy of the artist
Ethel-Ruth Tawe (b. Yaoundé, Cameroon) is an antidisciplinary artist and creative researcher exploring memory in Africa and its diaspora. Image-making, storytelling, and time-travelling compose the framework of her inquiry. From photography, collage, and text, to moving image, installation and other time-based media, Tawe examines culture and technology often from a speculative lens. Her burgeoning curatorial practice took form in an inaugural exhibition titled 'African Ancient Futures', and continues to expand in a myriad of audiovisual experiments. She is currently Editor-in-Chief at the arts and culture platform Contemporary And (C&) Magazine.
For any questions or requests concerning accessibility to the event or our gallery space, please contact James Goddard via email or by phone at 514-842-9686. For general accessibility information, please visit our dedicated page. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming space for all.
Considering ongoing COVID-19 and flu transmissions, please note that mask wearing is strongly recommended during events.