Patrick Ngabonziza
Patrick is a contemporary artist of Rwandan heritage, engaging with mediums of performance and installation to explore and investigate themes of African traditions and cultural norms. Patrick’s work assesses the effect these traditions and norms have on people from the global south who were born or have lived in western communities for most of their lives.
Their aim is to engage with unconventional performance settings and digital platforms to document work that promotes visibility and accessibility. They strive to work collaboratively, seeking opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and the inclusion of diverse creative skills.
Patrick continues to challenge preconceived ideologies about issues such as masculinity, identity, and blackness, among many others.
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Engaging with diverse historical narratives is crucial to understanding and enriching contemporary art discourse, especially those that have been marginalised or omitted from traditional education. The same model of education that was implemented during colonisation is still utilised today.
Engaging with narratives that are not included in the western education curriculum requires deliberate effort. Access to such information is scarce, and oral histories are often overlooked or treated as illegitimate sources.
Reconnecting with historical events is essential in understanding the evolution of art, its character, and its impact on societies over various periods. Histories are an undercurrent stream containing clues of human wisdom and capabilities and have the power to inform the future of humankind.
The void, which has inadvertently (or deliberately) been created in the telling of African history, for example, needs to continuously be investigated as it can provide valuable new insights into the complexities and wealth of African art forms.
CDCD could be potentially an excellent programme to start bridging the gap and bring the above challenges into the mainstream art establishments. Thus, they look forward to participating in critical conversations, artistic research, and interaction with artists and art organisations. Moreover, Patrick is motivated to unravel the unsettling legacy of European colonisation and to uncover how audiences could encounter such complications through a new prospect that takes the current political atmosphere into consideration.
Instagram:
@dandyismdance
@patrick_ziza
The digital reflection titled Memoria y Protección, created by Patrick Ngabonziza, resonates with and responds to the experiences gained during his one-month residency at the Museum of Memory & Human Rights in Santiago, Chile. It not only reflects on the residency itself but also extends into the post-production phase, exploring the ongoing processes and transformations that follow the residency experience.
© Patrick Ngabonziza / CDCD Project, 2025
All rights reserved. The digital reflection is protected under EU copyright law. Reuse or reproduction requires prior consent from the artist and the CDCD project.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
