Akwasi Bediako Afrane: D²NA – TC24: Visions of the Past
May 18, 2024 – June 29, 2025
Mattress Factory
509 Jacksonia St
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Mattress Factory announces the opening reception of a new installation by Ghanaian artist Akwasi Bediako Afrane. From his early years in Kumasi, Ghana, Akwasi Bediako Afrane displayed a boundless curiosity for technology. As a child, he would dismantle his father’s old televisions, stereos, and VCRs, and scavenge for discarded electronics in his neighborhood. This early fascination laid the groundwork for his current artistic practice, creating scenes and sculptures from discarded devices and salvaged components.
Image by Camille Blake
D²NA – TC24: Visions of the Past continues this exploration on a grand scale. Set amidst a darkened gallery, this work forms a cityscape of carefully arranged e-waste. Old printers, computers, and sound systems have been meticulously deconstructed, their insides pulled apart, their housing removed and reconfigured into something familiar yet otherworldly.
Screens, LEDs, motors, and a working model train are reanimated, bringing back to life objects once destined for the landfill. Working intuitively with these materials, Afrane has created a small yet buzzing metropolis, one that feels simultaneously futuristic and nostalgic. Afrane challenges us to consider how these items are made and their significance in our daily lives, fostering a critical reflection on the broader impacts and possibilities of technology.
Afrane was chosen to exhibit at Mattress Factory through an International Open Call, a selection process guided by a panel of Mattress Factory alumni artists. Embracing the museum’s philosophy of curatorial inclusivity and collaboration, this approach allows alumni artists to shape the exhibition landscape based on their unique perspectives and experiences. This Artist Alumni Review Panel included Vanessa German, Sohrab Kashani, Christopher Meerdo, and Sarah Oppenheimer.
About Akwasi Bediako Afrane
Akwasi Bediako Afrane was born in 1990 and continues to live and work in Kumasi, Ghana. His work explores the relationships between humans and technology, utilizing discarded electronic gadgets. These repurposed materials are transformed into what Afrane terms “TRONS,” intricate assemblies that serve as platforms for reflection and interaction.
Akwasi Bediako Afrane: D²NA – TC24: Visions of the Past opens on May 18, 2024 until June 29, 2025 at Mattress Factory
©2024 Mattress Factory
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