Casa Mbixi
2022
Installation
Centre d’Arts Santa Mònica
Barcelona
We are all born of fire and made up of it. Fire brings warmth and comfort to our homes, such as through the heat of a fire, the aroma of cooking food, or the meal waiting for us after a long day of challenges and contradictions. While a plate of hot food, like wata fufu and eru or roasted peanuts and freshly baked bread, may not solve everything, it at least provides sustenance and makes the world seem a little brighter. Ideally, this meal is not enjoyed alone, but shared with loved ones such as a mother, sister, daughter or friend, allowing us to nourish both our bodies and our relationships.
Casa Mbixi / In the search of home is an investigative process materialised as an immersive installation designed to be experienced and enjoyed. The artist uses a variety of objects including prints, textiles, books, and personal items to transport visitors to her unique universe where themes of Afro-descendence, ancestrality, and self-representation take center stage. The installation is flexible and adaptable, growing and changing with each new object and story added to it. This intimate space is perfect for gathering and sharing and is activated through the hosting of dinners.
The installation was shown for the first time as part of the Dozing on the Accidental Provocation exhibition. It was activated three times during that exhibition:
Identities: How do we build home when we feel far from our home? with xxx
Care: Who sustains our lives?
Housing: Are there other ways of understanding, living and reclaiming home?
In 2023, it travelled to Madrid for an itinerancy of the same exhibition with an activation curated by Gema Darbo and titled “Homecoming” featuring Espacio Afro
In 2024, Silvia Albert invited me to re-interpret Casa Mbixi and I created Casa Bubi in Periferia Cimarronxs
In 2025, Casa Mbixi had a solo show in Casa de Cultura del Masnou, a former “indiano” house, with three activations