- documenta
We congratulate Ibrahim Mahama on being awarded the Arnold Bode Prize 2026.
In his monumental installations, the Ghanaian conceptual artist addresses the historical and contemporary entanglements of industrialization and colonialism, extraction and the transport of raw materials, as well as the global trade routes of present-day capitalism.
For documenta 14 (2017), he enveloped the entire historic gatehouse at the Hessisches Landesmuseum in a patchwork of sewn-together jute sacks previously used to transport cocoa, coal, and other goods. Under the title Check Point Sekondi Loco. 1901–2030. 2016–2017, he transformed the thus “occupied” building into a symbolic customs station and a visible, physically accessible archive of human labor, international trade flows, and global inequalities. Mahama was also present in Athens during documenta 14, where, on the centrally located Syntagma Square, he had used coal sacks stitched together with scrap metal (customs lead seals) and leather from Henschel-Wegmann trains produced in Kassel.
In 2019, he founded the artist-run Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA) in his hometown of Tamale. This was followed in 2020 by the Red Clay Studios in nearby Janna Kpeŋŋ and in 2021 by Nkrumah Volini. All sites combine exhibition spaces, research facilities, and artist residencies. They constitute Mahama’s contribution to the development and expansion of the contemporary art scene in Ghana and also provide ongoing educational programs for children and young people.
The Arnold Bode Prize of the documenta city of Kassel has been awarded since 1980 to artists in recognition of their outstanding achievements in contemporary art. The advisory board currently comprises Ingo Buchholz, Prof. Heiner Georgsdorf (Chair), E. R. Nele, Prof. Dr. Julia Voss, and the artistic director of documenta 16, Naomi Beckwith. The board meets together with Dr. Sven Schoeller, Councillor for Culture, who represents the foundation’s executive board.
