Seminário
International Symposium "Rethinking the City"
Closing Event of the 2024 Vila Sul Artistic Residency Program
Date: November 25-26, 2024
Location: Goethe-Institut Salvador-Bahia
Entry: Free (registration required)
The International Symposium "Rethinking the City" marks the conclusion of the 2024 activities of the Vila Sul International Artistic Residency Program at the Goethe-Institut Salvador-Bahia. Centered around the theme "Urban Space" and the question "Who Owns the City?", the event explores urban dynamics, the right to public spaces, and the creation of inclusive and sustainable cities.
Throughout the year, the program hosted 11 residents from countries including South Africa, Germany, Cape Verde, Canada, and Nigeria, who developed projects engaging with the city of Salvador. The symposium offers an opportunity for these artists, researchers, and experts from various fields to share their perspectives with the public, in partnership with the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) and international institutions like the KfW Foundation, Quebec Arts and Letters Council, and MusicBoard Berlin.
Full Schedule
November 25 (Monday)
14:00 – Opening
Location: Goethe-Institut Theatre
14:30 – Panel: "Feminist Urban Planning – Development in Germany and Brazil"
Speakers: Dr. Nina Schuster (University of Hamburg) and Dr. Gabriela Leandro Pereira (UFBA)
Location: Goethe-Institut Theater
Description: Discussion on gender issues and the need to rethink urban planning from an inclusive perspective.
15:30 – 16:00 – Coffee Break
16:00 – Moment: “LAMA/s: Path/s through the Waters”
Artist: Patti Anahory – Architect, Cape Verde
Location: Goethe-Institut Theatre
17:30 – 18:00 – Break
18:00 – Musical Performance: "We Are Used to Dying"
Artist: Nour Symon (Canada/Egypt) – piano and electronics
Collaborators: Cristiano Figo (UFBA), George Christian (UFBA), and UFBA Music School students
Location: Goethe-Institut Theatre
Description: An evening of improvisation and sonic exploration, bringing together diverse cultures and styles.
19:00 – Artistic Performance: "sauti ya akoko" [the sounds of time]
Artist: Jumoke Adeyanju (Germany/Nigeria)
Collaborator: nwaọ (Cameroon)
Location: Goethe-Institut Patio
Description: A collaborative performance exploring time and memory through a fusion of artistic languages.
November 26 (Tuesday)
09:00 – Lecture: "Atlantic Connections - Bahia to Lagos: History & Heritage"
Speaker: Aduke Gomez, consultant and researcher, Nigeria
Location: Goethe-Institut Theatre
Description: Reflection on the historical relationship between Brazil and Nigeria and Afro-Brazilian influence in Lagos.
10:30 – 11:00 – Break
11:00 – Presentation: "Lagos in Bahia: Past Time, Present Tension"
Speaker: Deji Akinpelu, filmmaker and activist, Nigeria
Location: Goethe-Institut Theatre
Description: Exploration of urban issues and historical and current tensions between Bahia and Lagos, through cinema and photography.
12:30 – Closing Panel
Participants: Guest experts and Vila Sul residents
Location: Goethe-Institut Theatre
Description: Final discussion on topics addressed throughout the symposium, with a focus on perspectives for the urban future.
Participants
Aduke Gomes – Nigeria
Aduke uses her legal and consulting expertise to support creative and business development. She began her career at the Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie law firm, later holding leadership roles at Ecobank Nigeria Ltd and Leadway Pensure PFA. Appointed as Senior Special Assistant/Secretary of the Lagos State Hotel Licensing Authority in 2011 by Governor Fashola, she has also served on the Lagos State History Committee and the Lagos Carnival Committee. Aduke frequently lectures on topics related to her interests in history and culture and has participated in sessions at institutions like Cornell University, USA; University of Lagos Institute of African and Diaspora Studies; Lagos Bureau of Records and Archives; and the Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF), among others. Her published poetry collection has been highlighted at LABAF and the Ake Festival, as well as her children's books. She serves on the Steering Committee of Art4Life, an initiative by the Lagos State Ministry of Health, and holds advisory roles with Open House Lagos and the Lagos Biennial.
Prof. Dr. Nina Schuster – Germany
Nina Schuster is a sociologist and professor of Urban and Regional Sociology at HafenCity University Hamburg. Her teaching and research areas include urban and cultural sociology, social inequality, and feminist and queer theory. She previously worked at the Technical University of Dortmund, focusing on urban garden conflicts, and currently studies urban conflicts from a social inequality perspective. Schuster co-founded and serves on the editorial board of sub\urban. zeitschrift für kritische stadtforschung (www.zeitschrift-suburban.de).
Patti Anahory – Cape Verde
Architect Patti Anahory engages with architectural projects, art, education, and curation, challenging conventional notions of place and belonging. She co-founded XU and Storia na Lugar, experimenting with narrative and counter-narrative approaches. Anahory is a Visiting Professor at Columbia University and an advisor to the African Futures Institute.
Deji Akinpelu – Nigeria
Deji Akinpelu is a craftsman in sustainable development, using arts to tell vibrant African stories. A self-taught photographer turned filmmaker, he founded Rethinking Cities Initiative, bringing together professionals in arts and urban planning to tackle urban challenges in Africa. His work has been recognized by international development organizations like the Heinrich Boll Foundation, French Development Agency, and Amnesty International.
Nour Symon – Canada/Egypt
Nour Symon’s artistic practice integrates concert music, visual arts, and poetry. Symon’s sound paintings, musical scores, and poetry collections reflect this interdisciplinary approach. Symon has been the artistic and musical director of various projects since 2008 and is known for improvisational piano performances worldwide.
Jumoke Adeyanju – Germany/Nigeria
Jumoke Adeyanju is an interdisciplinary artist, linguist, and researcher. She founded Poetry Meets, curates Sensi.Dance, and hosts radio programs on Refuge Worldwide. Influenced by East African and Caribbean cultures, she explores themes of diaspora, memory, and sound.
Gabriela Leandro Pereira – Brazil
Gabriela Leandro is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Bahia, where she coordinates the Body, Discourse, and Territory study group. Her work intersects urban planning, ethnic-racial issues, gender, and multimedia narratives.
Details
Goethe-Institut Salvador-Bahia