Em’kal Eyongakpa's Artistic Practice Explores Memory and Epistemology

Em’kal Eyongakpa, a Cameroonian artist born in 1981, centers his work on thought processes and experiences, translating them into photography, video, sculpture, sound, text, and performances. His practice reflects societal concerns, focusing on historical narratives, collective memory, and ritualistic practices rather than canonical sources. Eyongakpa engages in epistemological disobedience by juxtaposing elements like sorcery with rational media, blurring lines between reality and surreality. For the São Paulo Biennial, he will present work on fungi-culture and mycelial farming, connecting indigenous knowledge with Western systems. Trained as a botanist and ecologist, he has exhibited at venues including Kadist in Paris (2015), DRAF in London (2015), SAVVY Contemporary and NBK in Berlin (2014), esc_Videobrasil in São Paulo (2013), Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester (2012), Dak’Art 2012, and Bamako Encounters 2011. The artist was selected by Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, and the article references thinkers like Amiri Baraka and Jean-Luc Nancy, as well as Mutabaruka's 1987 dub song. Originally published in the January & February 2016 issue of ArtReview, Eyongakpa's approach emphasizes process over art object, exploring what is omitted from historical records.