Ghana Airways

It happens whenever Hakeem Adam is at an airport, or just about to leave or arrive in Ghana. In this place of transition, between going there and being there, he can get just enough distance from his homeland to ask what it means to be Ghanaian in the 21st century.

In a three-part audio work, he explores his identity through “things in which I can hear myself.” He combines snatches of music, historical recordings of speeches, news clips, advertising jingles and ambient sound to create a sonic patchwork that does justice to the character of a country that is itself a constructed composite of colonial forces and projected wishes, myths and ideologies.

In Ghana Airways, Adam breathes new life into the concept of oral history. He tells stories, analyzes, brings experiences to life and raises questions. To him, oral tradition is sculpted with sound, which proves itself to be a powerful source of knowledge in today’s digital world.

Supported by Electric South.