Lillian Hipolyte, Director of Nafasi Art Space, offers an in-depth look into the mission, structure, and challenges of one of Tanzania’s leading contemporary art institutions, alongside a personal reflection on international cultural exchange.

The video covers:

• the origins and philosophy of Nafasi Art Space as both a space and an opportunity for artists,
• key programs including the Academy, residencies, galleries, performing arts, film club, and digital lab,
• support systems for emerging, youth, and underprivileged artists through education, incubation grants, and mentorship,
• the importance of international partnerships and artist exchanges for learning, collaboration, and sustainability,
• systemic barriers to artist mobility, particularly visa processes, bureaucracy, and lack of trust,
• the role of digital tools and new technologies in expanding access, preservation, and global art markets,
• reflections on working with unconventional, post-industrial exhibition spaces and embracing context over “white cube” aesthetics.

This is a candid and thoughtful reflection on building cultural infrastructure in a young art ecosystem, advocating for freer artistic mobility, and rethinking how and where contemporary art can exist and connect audiences across borders.

This interview was conducted during the 21st SURVIVAL Art Review, which took place in Wrocław (Poland) from June 23 to 27, 2023.

Josephine Kiaga—COO and co-founder of Kiagraphy Media Limited—shares a powerful and deeply personal reflection on art, activism, and creative freedom. As a filmmaker, poet, graphic artist, and designer, she discusses her work within the Deconfining residency and the ideas behind her project Breaking the Crimson Code.

The conversation explores:

• art as a provocative tool to address taboo subjects such as menstruation, period poverty, and women’s health,
• the concept of the Crimson Code—the historical and cultural secrecy surrounding menstruation and its links to shame, patriarchy, colonialism, and medical systems,
• the importance of decolonizing language and personal narratives around the body, femininity, and health,
• inspiration drawn from experimental video art, short films, metaphors, and unconventional installations,
• the role of intercultural exchange in shaping artistic practice and expanding creative perspectives,
• encounters with other artists, healers, activists, and communities that connect womanhood, herbs, folklore, and embodied knowledge,
• reflections on artistic freedom, public art, and expressive space within the European context, particularly in Poland,
• the significance of menstrual health activism, education, and grassroots initiatives such as free access to menstrual products,
• advice for artists entering international residencies, emphasizing openness, cultural curiosity, and learning local languages.

The interview concludes with a clear message: do not be afraid to be different, to challenge norms, and to push boundaries—because transformation begins with those willing to take risks.

In this interview, Naitiemu Nyanjom, a visual, material, and performance artist from Kenya, reflects on her artistic practice and research developed within the Deconfining project. Her work explores the deep connections between nature, culture, and humanity, with a particular focus on mental health, female consciousness, and holistic ways of understanding the world.

The conversation touches on:

• the intersection of nature and culture as a way to tell stories about mental health, spirituality, and shared humanity,
• herbs and indigenous trees as sources of healing, knowledge, and connection across past, present, and future,
• the historical role of women as healers and the gendered, political dimensions of medicine and health,
• decolonizing approaches to nature, healing, and indigenous knowledge systems,
• parallels between African and Polish traditions related to herbs, rituals, and spirituality,
• inspiration drawn from encounters with herbalists, rituals, landscapes, and everyday practices,
• challenges of mobility and visa processes faced by artists, alongside reflections on hospitality, warmth, and belonging,
• the importance of diversity, interconnectedness, and celebrating both similarities and differences among people,
• plans to work with sound, landscape, stories, and historical spaces as living archives of human experience.

The interview is a poetic and thoughtful reflection on healing, ecology, femininity, and the idea that all life forms are deeply interconnected—inviting us to rethink division and embrace unity through nature and shared histories.

Moses Kizza, also known as Teflon, shares his journey as a filmmaker from Uganda whose work centers on dance as a universal language. For him, dance is not only movement or entertainment, but a powerful expressive tool to communicate messages of unity, humanity, and social awareness.

The conversation explores:

• how dance became the core of his filmmaking practice and a way to tell stories beyond words,
• using film as a medium to amplify expression, emotion, and social messages,
• his first-ever journey to Europe and the emotional and logistical challenges of visa processes,
• reflections on warmth, hospitality, and everyday kindness encountered in Poland,
• first encounters with Polish contemporary art, installations, and festivals,
• participation in his first research residency, focused on learning, collaboration, and artistic growth,
• developing a new dance film in collaboration with a dancer with a disability, centered on dignity, consent, and respect,
• disability as a shared human condition rather than a limitation,
• the importance of mentorship, collaboration, and community in navigating the art world,
• a strong belief in unity, love, and togetherness across cultures.

This interview is a heartfelt reflection on creativity, vulnerability, and learning—highlighting how art, movement, and human connection can bridge differences and remind us that, despite appearances, we are one family.

Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda—author and founder of Copper Monster—reflects on writing, publishing, and the power of cross-continental collaboration within the Deconfining project.

The conversation explores:

• her journey as a writer navigating limited publishing pathways and the search for validation and visibility,
• the crucial role of anthologies and Pan-African collaborations in empowering emerging writers,
• how rejection, workshops, and mentorship can become formative tools for artistic growth,
• the motivation behind founding Copper Monster to support writers facing similar barriers,
• publishing as both a creative and professional process that builds confidence and sustainability,
• collaboration as a space of shared intention, learning, and productive challenge,
• the realities of working across regions with different cultural contexts, expectations, and knowledge gaps,
• the importance of in-person exchange, workshops, and aligned values in international projects,
• questions of mobility, equality, and freedom of movement in global cultural collaboration,
• reflections on history, place, and unexpected connections between Africa and Central Europe.

This interview offers a thoughtful perspective on literary ecosystems, institutional knowledge, and the long-term impact of collaboration—showing how shared work across borders can expand voices, bridge gaps, and shape future cultural narratives.

Samba Yonga, co-founder of the Women’s History Museum, reflects on decolonial knowledge production, digital archiving, and the politics of international cultural exchange within the Deconfining project.

The conversation explores:

• the founding of the Women’s History Museum as a fully digital institution dedicated to restoring and centering indigenous knowledge systems created by women,
• how colonialism erased women’s histories and delegitimized oral traditions, storytelling, and artistic practices as valid forms of knowledge,
• the role of digital technologies in democratizing, archiving, and legitimizing non-Western knowledge systems,
• a critical challenge to Eurocentric ideas of museums, institutions, and “four-wall” knowledge production,
• parallels between the museum’s mission and Deconfining’s interrogation of collaboration, power, and cultural structures,
• systemic inequalities in global mobility, particularly visa regimes that position artists and cultural workers from the Global South as “lesser partners,”
• the emotional, financial, and logistical toll of visa processes and border bureaucracy,
• reflections on equality, trust, and reciprocity as essential foundations for genuine cultural exchange,
• cautious optimism about international collaborations as spaces of necessary tension, debate, and transformation.

This interview offers a sharp and thoughtful critique of global knowledge hierarchies while advocating for courageous, equitable, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations as a vital part of meaningful collaboration.