On the 12th of October, during Frieze art week, I will be presenting my first-ever solo show at Art Otel in Shoreditch, London.
What cannot be returned, must be reconceived.
This exhibition is an expansion and continuation of Mbari Memorial — the immersive installation that was awarded the 2026 Tomorrows/Today Prize at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair.
A third space: community and convening
More than just a passive exhibition, this Shoreditch solo show is designed as a convening — a “Third Space.” We are moving beyond the traditional museum mandate of distance and preservation to create a place to gather around the work.
Collaborations: the space will host active workshops and live music, featuring incredible collaborations between analog and digital musicians.
Jumbi partnership: we are thrilled to partner with Jumbi, Peckham’s vibrant, community-driven music space celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora.
The Umunne tradition: this active, communal format mirrors the collaborative roots of the original Igbo Umunne tradition, bringing a methodology of community-making into the present day.
Technological fusion: the installation
Mbari Memorial operates across physical, digital, and spiritual registers. It challenges the idea that restitution is just about returning physical objects, proposing instead that what cannot be returned must be collectively rethought and reactivated.
The physical grounding: the installation features interactive sculptural forms — digitally shaped and 3D printed around the traditional ogene gong, then cast in bronze. These sit atop colourful plastic bottle crates, explicitly referencing the visual culture of informal markets.
The digital reactivation: the reimagined gongs function as electrically conductive interfaces. When participants touch them simultaneously, the completed electrical circuits trigger the real-time generation of digital augmented-reality sculptures.
The living memorial: through LiDAR scanning and AR workflows, the archival fragments of historical structures are transformed into living, variable entities created entirely through communal touch.
Full programme and times to follow. Art Otel Shoreditch — 12 October 2026, Frieze week.
Written by Chidirim Nwaubani — October 2026
