Ibrahim Mahama's Voyageur Brings Three Wooden Boats to Naples' Piazza Municipio
On September 21, Ibrahim Mahama's Voyageur was launched in Piazza Municipio as part of Naples' Napoli Contemporanea initiative. The artist, who hails from Tamale and was born in 1987, constructed three large wooden boats measuring approximately 5, 7, and 8 meters in height, employing traditional techniques from Ghana. This installation explores themes of migration and cultural exchange, highlighting Naples' maritime heritage. Curated by Vincenzo Trione, the program has showcased works by notable artists such as Michelangelo Pistoletto, Gaetano Pesce, and Jaume Plensa. Voyageur will remain on display until November 18, 2026. Mahama, who received the Premio Pascali in 2021 and founded the SCCA in 2019, won PAC2020 for his work Alhassan Zepligu and is set for a solo exhibition at Fondation Cartier in October 2026.
Key facts
- Ibrahim Mahama's Voyageur was unveiled in Piazza Municipio, Naples, on September 21, 2026.
- The installation consists of three wooden boats approximately 5, 7, and 8 meters tall, built with traditional Ghanaian techniques.
- Voyageur is the fourth project of Napoli Contemporanea, curated by Vincenzo Trione.
- The work remains on view until November 18, 2026, in the square designed by Alvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura.
- Mahama's earlier project Alhassan Zepligu won PAC2020 and joined the MADRE museum's permanent collection.
- In 2021, Mahama presented Red Rivers and Garden of Eden at the MADRE, based on a 2020 residency.
- Mahama topped Art Review's Power 100 at the end of 2025.
- In October 2026, Fondation Cartier in Paris will host his solo show The Harvest Season.
Entities
Artists
- Ibrahim Mahama
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Gaetano Pesce
- Jaume Plensa
- Vincenzo Trione
- Gaetano Manfredi
- Enzo Avitabile
- Alvaro Siza
- Eduardo Souto de Moura
- Livia Montagnoli
- Eduardo de Moura
- Dominique Perrault
- Massimiliano Gioni
Institutions
- MADRE
- PAC2020
- Napoli Contemporanea
- Art Review
- Power 100
- Fondazione Cartier
- Fondazione Trussardi
- Premio Pascali
- Biennale di Venezia
- Documenta 14
- Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA)
- Artribune
- Italsider
- Comune di Napoli
- Palazzo San Giacomo
- Museo Madre
- Fondazione Nicola Trussardi
- exibart.com
Locations
- Naples
- Italy
- Tamale
- Ghana
- Bagnoli
- Piazza Municipio
- Paris
- France
- Milan
- Porta Venezia
- Venice
- London
- Barbican Centre
- Piazza Garibaldi
- via Nazario Sauro