9 June to 26 September 2022
Seismography of Struggles
Seismography of Struggles is the result of a research project that brings together, in a digital format, nearly eight hundred non-European critical and cultural periodicals, including those originating from the African, Indian, Caribbean, Asian and South American diasporas that were produced in the wake of the revolutionary movements from the end of the eighteenth century up to the watershed year of 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall. These publications voice the critical resistance of peoples who have endured colonialism, slavery, apartheid and genocide. Also included are journals from other peoples who have experienced violent dictatorships, as well as brutal political and cultural upheavals.
For over two centuries, print media has been a space that has accommodated varied experiences. Born out of a sense of urgency in response to colonialism, these publications have supported collective aspirations, critical, political, aesthetic, poetic and literary projects, while helping to sustain graphic and literary creativity. A fragile object, the journal often pulled together difficult material that was motivated by noble causes and the determination of authors committed to supporting communities and their aspirations.
Presented chronologically, the narrative unfolds through a three-channel audiovisual installation composed of two films with a montage of images from the publications and a third that shows a collection of historic manifestos.
Seismography of Struggles offers non-Eurocentric perspectives on history and allows for a reconsideration of the intellectual, artistic and political dynamics that took place at the heart of colonial empires. Despite the breadth of geographical and territorial areas of origin, these publications bear witness to expressions of global solidarity through their anti-colonial stance and desire for emancipation.
This project is the result of a research program directed by Zahia Rahmani at the National Institute for Art History, Paris.