Neema Githere and Ethel Tawe on Data Healing, Exile, and Digital Diaspora

From May to June 2025, artist-curators Ethel Tawe and Neema Githere engage in a hybrid dialogue addressing themes such as data healing, digital diaspora, and the challenges of navigating multiple time zones. Githere, a writer and relational architect from Kenya, recently named co-curator of Transmediale 2026, elaborates on her innovative approach to data healing, which merges technology, nature, and spirituality to confront data trauma. Their exchange begins with an online discussion on May 27 and transitions to an in-person retreat in Normandy on June 27, where they delve into topics like exile and radical love protocols. Githere highlights her use of alternative internet systems and spiritual artifacts, while Tawe reflects on colonial influences in her travels. She also mentions the $70 million loss faced by African passport holders due to denied Schengen visas last year. Both curators critique binary views on technology, emphasizing that spirit permeates every machine, and advocate for new forms of compassion in the face of digital fatigue. Githere is also organizing a film program at LACMA with her grandfather, Dr. Gilbert Githere, and holds the position of Editor-in-Chief at Contemporary And (C&) Magazine.