SPAZIO GRIOT
SPAZIO GRIOT

Artist Residency On
The Second Congress Of Black Writers And Artists

SPAZIO GRIOT

The 2024–2028 SPAZIO GRIOT artist residency programme draws inspirtation from the Second Congress of Black Writers and Artists, the landmark event held in Rome from March 25–31, 1959. Following the inaugural 1956 Paris congress organized by Présence Africaine (the Pan-African magazine founded by Alioune Diop), the Rome convening was promoted by the Société Africaine de Culture, and coordinated by the Istituto Italiano per l'Africa. The Congress advanced critical conversations on crucial themes, focusing on the unity and responsibility of Black-African culture, as well as its autonomy and emancipation from the Western world. It brought together 120 delegates, including writers, artists, thinkers, and political figures from Africa, the Caribbean, the United States, and Europe.

SPAZIO GRIOT

Gerard Sekoto (South Africa, 1913-1993). Poster designed for the Second Conference of Negro Writers and Artists in Rome, 1959. Courtesy of Christine Eyene.

SPAZIO GRIOT

Pablo Picasso (Spain, 1881-1973). Original poster Présence Africaine 2nd Congress of Black Writers and Artists March 26 - April 1, 1959. Publisher Courbet.

The new SPAZIO GRIOT residency is part of a broader five-year programme, building up towards the 70th anniversary of the Congress in 2029. Reflecting on the legacy of the Second Congress and its contemporary relevance and echoes, and using multiple tools of community engagement and collaborative action, our programme will foster dialogue and exchange with local communities as well as institutions and organizations.

Each year, nominated artists, writers, and creatives are invited to spend time in Rome to explore new ideas around the themes of the Congress and expand their practice by either extending projects or embarking on new endeavors. Residents are also encouraged to present their work at a public event within a year of concluding the residency.

The residency aims to provide a unique and high-quality opportunity for artists, writers and creatives to receive mentorship and to connect residents to peers in Rome and with national and international networks and communities, transcending geographical boundaries and fostering a sense of global solidarity and unity. At the same time, the residency continues a critical conversation about the accessibility to the arts and cultural scenes.

The 2024 residency, held alongside this year’s summer exhibition and public programme Riverberi (Reverberations) at Mattatoio, will be led by mentor, Chris Cyrille alongside SPAZIO GRIOT’s Johanne Affricot and Eric Otieno Sumba. It will feature mentoring and working sessions, studio and museum visits, and artistic exchanges with established artists, theorists, curators from all over the world.

The 2024 SPAZIO GRIOT artist residency is supported by OASI SOLARIA, a biodynamic agricultural farm on the outskirts of Rome. 

Residents

SPAZIO GRIOT

Brianda Maxciel Carreras Santana is a multidisciplinary artist based in Rome. In her artistic practice, she explores the Dominican Afro-Taino culture, using the Black body as a filter, trace,  sign,  archive, and a legacy. She holds degrees in Contemporary Dance and Audiovisual Communication, and a Master's degree from the Silvio d'Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts in dramaturgy and screenwriting. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with various international artists, including Silvia Calderoni, Ilenia Caleo, Emilia Verginelli, Michele Rizzo, Dora Garcìa, Wolfgang Prinz, Michel Gholam, Nadia Beugré, Andreco, Bob Kil, Nina Beier, and Walé Oyéjidé.Through her works, she seeks to explore and celebrate the cultural roots and Afro-Taino heritage of the Dominican Republic.

SPAZIO GRIOT

A Michelin-trained Nigerian chef in Milan, Immaculate Ruému blends local cuisine with global delicacies, creating a style rooted in simplicity and cultural appreciation. Balancing city and farm life growing up, she developed a passion for food. As a multifaceted professional, she works as a restaurant chef and runs a business as a food writer, recipe developer, digital creator, and private chef. She studied professional culinary arts at the Chef Academy of London and holds degrees in Business Administration from the European School of Economics and a Master of Management in Food & Beverages from SDA Bocconi School of Management.

SPAZIO GRIOT

Damiano Tata is an Italian-Ivorian artist and producer, inspired by the logic of complex biological and computational systems. Since 2016, he has released music and albums under various pseudonyms, in addition to producing works in painting, ceramics, installation, and digital art. His recent work explores forms belonging to the natural world and how technological elements interact with emerging social behaviors and the allure of the post-natural. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome in 2022.

Mentors

SPAZIO GRIOT

Chris Cyrille is a poet, writer, and exhibition-storyteller living between Guadeloupe and France. He graduated from the Faculty of Arts, Philosophy, and Aesthetics at Paris 8 University and has worked for several French and international magazines. His research is focused on anti-colonial and Caribbean literature. He is one of the founders of the project Mangrovité and is currently pursuing research on the Second Congress of Black Artists and Writers. He recently curated two re-activations of the Congress in Florence (2023, The Recovery Plan;Villa Romana).