The Labour of Ghosts | Ibrahim Mahama | TEDxAccra

Artist Ibrahim Mahama reflects on memory, labour and the traces of history embedded in the infrastructures and materials around us. He discusses railway workshops, abandoned trains, bridges, factories and glass bottles, and how objects shaped by colonial and postcolonial histories can be preserved, transformed and reimagined. The talk draws on his work at Red Clay and beyond, asking what it means to take agency over collective memory, repair what has been discarded, and create spaces where communities can encounter their histories differently. It closes with the question of how everyday work can contribute to freedom and justice.

• Memory and history embedded in infrastructure and materials
• Preserving and reimagining objects shaped by colonial and postcolonial histories
• Repairing what has been discarded and creating new community spaces
• How everyday work can contribute to freedom and justice

Ibrahim Mahama reflects on memory, labour and the traces of history embedded in the infrastructures and materials that surround us. From railway workshops and abandoned trains to bridges, factories and glass bottles, Mahama explores how objects marked by colonial and postcolonial histories can be preserved, transformed and reimagined for future generations. Through his work at Red Clay and beyond, he asks what it means to take agency over collective memory, to repair what has been discarded, and to create new spaces where communities can encounter their histories differently. At the centre of his reflections is a question that extends beyond art: how can our everyday work contribute to freedom and justice? Ibrahim Mahama (b. 1987, Tamale, Ghana) is one of the most influential voices in contemporary art and the first African artist to top ArtReview’s Power 100. His practice centres on monumental, site-specific installations using materials of labour and trade - jute sacks, timber, and industrial remnants - to explore global economies, colonial histories, and the circulation of goods and people. Living and working between Accra and Tamale, he is the founder of the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA), Red Clay Studio, and Nkrumah V olini. Mahama has exhibited internationally, including at Documenta 14, the Venice Biennale, Centre Pompidou, and with a forthcoming solo exhibition at Fondation Cartier, Paris (2026). He is the recipient of the Prince Claus Award (2020), the Sam Gilliam Award (2024), and the Gold Award at the inaugural Art Basel Awards (2025). His work is held in major public collections worldwide, and he is represented by APALAZZOGALLERY and White Cube. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx