The second edition of the annual professional development program inaugurated by Exit Frame Collective, CritLab, ended in Kumasi on 12th November, 2021. The program, designed for artists, curators, and critics, ran from 1st – 12th November, 2021. For this year’s event Exit Frame—the collective comprised of Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh, Kelvin Haizel, Adwoa Amoah, Bernard Akoi-Jackson, and Ato Annan— partnered with Foundation for Contemporary Art- Ghana, blaxTARLINES KUMASI, Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art, and KNUST Museum (Opoku Ware II Museum). The 12-day intensive program of film screenings, studio/site visits, seminars, online lectures, and workshops took place between the auditorium of the KNUST Museum and the blaxTARLINES space on KNUST campus. On the final day participants engaged the public with temporary interventions such as performance lectures, interactive games, installations, participatory and site-specific projects, among others.

Kumasi has, in recent history, been the site of the “silent revolution” happening in arts education in Ghana’s foremost art college, KNUST. The Department of Painting and Sculpture, à la blaxTARLINES, has been at the forefront of cutting-edge ideas and practices in contemporary art from Ghana, and indeed from Africa, since the late 1990s. CritLab complements this paradigm of Ghana’s art history by deepening the investment in the intellectual infrastructure of art practice and to further its ambition of establishing a network of professionals who desire to push the boundaries of art production, art thought, and exhibition making in the international field of contemporary art.

CritLab is targeted towards self-driven practice— whether participants work independently or with institutions. Topics treated at the program range from the pragmatics of professional development; creating infrastructure in conditions of hopelessness; constructive approaches to building relationships with other professionals and institutions, locally and internationally; understanding the theoretical underpinnings of art history as inherited from imperialist structures; the necessity of emancipating professional practice; and incorporating more ways of creative thinking beyond human-centered approaches to making and thinking about art.

For more information visit: https://critlab.exitframecollective.org/

Participants:

Alice Korkor Ebeheakey, Elizabeth Ofosuah Johnson, Ama Benewaa Tawiah, Abraham Tettey, Albert Nii Nortey Dowuona (Alniinod), Christopher Effah Oppong, Godelive Kabena Kasangati, Mr. RK Ampem Darko (Nana Yaw Ananse), Nana Nyahan Tachie-Menson, Nii Motey Adielson, Patrick William Dodoo, Samuel Prophask Asamoah.

Lead Facilitators:

Exit Frame Collective (Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh, Ato Annan, Adwoa Amoah, Bernard Akoi-Jackson, Kelvin Haizel)

Guest facilitators:

Nomusa Makhubu (SA), Chiara Figone (SN/DE), Augustus Richardson, arch. (GH), Selom Koffi Kudjie (GH), Ibrahim Mahama (GH), kąrî’kạchä seid’ou (GH), Blebo Michael Jackson (GH), Tracy Naa Koshie Thompson (GH), Adjo Kisser (GH), Shane Aslan Selzer (US), Laurel Richardson (US), Evan Eghan (GH), George 'Buma' Ampratwum (GH), Edwin Kwesi Bodjawah (GH), Elolo Bosoka (GH), Nuna Adisenu-Doe (GH), Frederick Okine (GH), Dorothy Amenuke (GH), Priscilla Kennedy (GH), Hassan Issa (GH), CrazinisT ArtisT Studio (GH).

Documentation (photo and video): Elolo Bosoka, Franklin Yohuno

Volunteers: Theresa Adom, Isaac Broni, Kimathi Agbanu, Isaac Abbey

Graphic design: Jade Tachie-Menson

Photos by Elolo Bosoka