John Akomfrah

The museum and TBA21–Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary are collaborating on a new exhibition by John Akomfrah, following the presentation in 2018 of the immersive video installation Purple. The British artist of Ghanaian origin reimagines in this occasion his most ambitious and experimental work to date, originally commissioned for the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2024. 

Listening All Night To The Rain takes its title from an 11^th century poem written in exile by Chinese author Su Dongpo, in which he reflects on the transitory nature of life. Through a series of eight immersive, multi-channel film and sound installations, Akomfrah (1957) combines geopolitical documentation and fictional filmmaking to give voice to individuals representing the British diaspora, adopting a non-linear and cyclical view of time and connecting distinct places and historical moments. 

Akomfrah is known for his art films and multi-screen video installations that explore the power of art to rewrite history, addressing issues such as racial injustice, colonial legacies, diaspora, migration, and climate change. He began as a founding member of the Black Audio Film Collective (BAFC), a group of seven artists established in 1982. The BAFC’s first film, Handsworth Songs (1986), examined the 1985 uprisings in Birmingham and London. In recent years, his video work has evolved into ambitious multi-screen installations shown in museums and galleries around the world. In 2017, he was awarded the Artes Mundi Prize, the UK’s most prestigious award for international contemporary art. 

Curator: Tarini Malik.