Mathieu Kleyebe Abonnenc's Practice Engages Postcolonial Legacies Through Archival Research and Ambivalent Objects

French Guiana artist Mathieu Kleyebe Abonnenc delves into the themes of historical inheritance through various mediums, including engravings, films, sculptures, slideshows, and lectures, while challenging the concepts of historical truth and memory. His archival investigations focus on postcolonial legacies, drawing inspiration from notable figures such as Sarah Maldoror, Frantz Fanon, Julius Eastman, and the Tricontinental journal. Abonnenc emphasizes political actions, referencing Maldoror's unreleased 1970 film 'Des Fusils pour Banta' and the support for lusophone independence by Tricontinental. His 2012 work 'An Italian Film (Africa Addio)' and 'Untitled (Bodies in a Pile)' engage with the contentious 1962 film 'Mondo Cane', employing melted early-twentieth-century Congolese currency to create minimalist bars that interrogate the ties between objects and their violent pasts. This article was published in ArtReview in March 2013.