One thing observed about Open Restitution Africa is their diligence and care in bringing back what rightfully belongs to Africa. They share a history of how cultural property was illegally taken from various African communities across the continent and stashed in universal museums. These pieces of culture are not artworks; they are sacred symbols ofContinueContinue reading “Open Restitution Africa, an organization shaping the return of stolen cultural property to its homelands: Efforts in Zambia.”
Author Archives: Kupenta
The Globalization of the Zambian Gen Z is Costing Us Cultural Erasure.
For many years, the preservation of history, culture, and memory has been solely dependent on the sharing of knowledge from the old to the young. It looked like storytelling, theatre, and retellings of memory and culture passed down from generation to generation. Today, the exchange of knowledge is easier thanks to the internet and socialContinueContinue reading “The Globalization of the Zambian Gen Z is Costing Us Cultural Erasure.”
Bakashimika: Storytellers Reframing Zambia’s Visual Identity
In Bemba, Bakashimika means storytellers. It is an apt name for a photography festival built on a simple but powerful question: What does Zambian photography actually look like? The idea began as a conversation among photographers and cultural thinkers who noticed something curious. When searching “Zambian photography” online, the results were overwhelmingly dominated by wildlife imagery,ContinueContinue reading “Bakashimika: Storytellers Reframing Zambia’s Visual Identity”
Creatives & Community – Infinite Light Agency
It felt like being surrounded by passionate, dedicated individuals, an event that was immersive and exhilarating. We attended the Infinite Light pop-up studio in Lusaka. It was intimate, personal, and authentic. As diverse acts were showcased, we reveled in the spirit of collective interpretation and analysis. On April 11, 2026, the opening night featured aContinueContinue reading “Creatives & Community – Infinite Light Agency”
Infinite Light Agency Pop-Up Studio: Art, Film, and Music
We spent the weekend at the Infinite Light Agency event and we’re still thinking about how it all unfolded. The space felt intentional from the start. Ndine Mulendo, the photo exhibition by The African Gypsy, really outdid itself. It wasn’t just about the work on display, but how people engaged with it, speaking about perspectiveContinueContinue reading “Infinite Light Agency Pop-Up Studio: Art, Film, and Music”
Zambia’s Debut at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair
We sat in on this conversation and left thinking about how far Zambian art is travelling and how much further it can go. There was something grounding about hearing the realities behind exhibiting on an international stage, especially from voices that are actively shaping that path. It made the idea of “from here to theContinueContinue reading “Zambia’s Debut at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair”
Curatorial Education: A Zambian Curator’s Experience
A Zambian Curator’s Experience was not merely a recollection of events, but a celebration of achievement and the opening of a new chapter in the documentation of Zambian art. The conversation explored Ng’onga Nalupya’s journey at the University of Bergen, where she pursued an MA in curatorial practice, and how that experience expanded her understandingContinueContinue reading “Curatorial Education: A Zambian Curator’s Experience”
Mosi Oa Tunya Perennial Introductory Gathering
Today felt like more than an event. It felt like a question placed in the middle of the room. What does contemporary art look like here? What does it mean to build institutions, conversations, and futures from Zambia, not as an afterthought, but as a starting point? It wasn’t just a gathering. It was aContinueContinue reading “Mosi Oa Tunya Perennial Introductory Gathering”
Zambia’s Debut at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
An afternoon steeped in memory, image, and conversation.Kupenta recently attended an intimate art talk reflecting on the journey of The Inherited Counter-Archive, a project that continues to open tender, necessary dialogues around photography, history, and lived experience. Hearing about the exhibition’s path, its encounters, and its afterlives was both grounding and inspiring, especially within aContinueContinue reading “Zambia’s Debut at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair”
On Making and Returning — Edith Musachi
Some artists speak about their work through milestones. Others speak through continuity. This conversation belongs to the latter. Rather than pointing to a defining moment or a single breakthrough, Musachi frames making as something that has always been there, quiet, consistent, and deeply personal. What follows is less an explanation of practice and more anContinueContinue reading “On Making and Returning — Edith Musachi”