KMB-2025: Ibrahim Mahama’s ‘Parliament of Ghosts’ awe-inspiring, empowering

A sack curtain at the short doorway beckons viewers to enter an ancient room in Anand Warehouse on Bazaar Road, Mattancherry.

Concept & Inspiration
- Artist: Ibrahim Mahama, one of Ghana’s most acclaimed contemporary artists.
- Installation: “Parliament of Ghosts” is a monumental work that reimagines Ghana’s post-independence history through discarded materials and architectural fragments.
- Materials: Old train seats, school furniture, and remnants of colonial and postcolonial infrastructure are repurposed into a symbolic “parliament chamber.”

Themes
- Memory & History: The work reflects on failed political promises, abandoned projects, and the ghosts of unrealized futures.
- Empowerment: By transforming discarded objects into a space of dialogue, Mahama empowers communities to reclaim narratives of resilience.
- Collective Reflection: The installation invites audiences to sit, gather, and imagine alternative futures—turning ruins into possibilities.

Reception
- Awe-Inspiring: Visitors describe the installation as both haunting and majestic, evoking the weight of history while sparking hope.
- Empowering: It resonates strongly in the context of African modernity, showing how art can confront political memory while offering new visions.
- Global Recognition: Mahama’s work has been exhibited internationally, but KMB-2025 situates it within a broader dialogue on cultural identity and transformation.

This piece is a powerful example of how contemporary African art uses material memory to challenge political narratives and inspire collective imagination.