Silvia Rosi (b. 1992) has been on the rise in the contemporary art world for the past few years. The Italian-Togolese artist is a former FOAM Talent and has exhibited work in the LACMA, Brooklyn Museum and Autograph collections. This trajectory is only set to continue, as she received the C/O Talent Award 2024 for the series Protektorat. The photographs explore post-colonial themes of migration, identity and collective memory. She uses an interplay of staged photography, video, performative elements and edited archive material to reflect upon the diasporic experience. Her works, which often have autobiographical references, question the constructions of identity and belonging. Rosi’s winning series is now on display at C/O Berlin, offering a new perspective on the culture of remembrance and asking important questions of who gets to speak and whose voices are legitimised.
Protektorat (2022 – 2024) sheds light on the history of language under colonial occupation in Togo. In 1884, the West African country was established as a German “protectorate.” This system was disrupted during WWI and the land was transferred to British and French rule. British Togoland became part of the independent nation of Ghana in 1957, whilst the French territory became independent in 1960. This complex legacy continues to shape the language of the nation, with German, English and French still widely spoken. Meanwhile, the native Ewe and Mina languages were preserved through oral tradition despite systematic suppression. Rosi explained: “This work was created during my time in Togo, where I began to learn Ewe and Mina, the main local languages used by the Germans to evangelize the country and later banned during the French era. The project explores my family heritage and cultural identity. Each piece takes the viewer through my journey of rediscovery, highlighting the power of language within the origins of identity and my attempt to find myself within this context.”
Rosi’s images are inspired by the legacy of West African studio photography, established in the 1960s and 1970s. The boom in this style of staged portraiture coincided with the wave of independence that swept across the continent, beginning with Ghana in March 1957 and encompassing 24 nations by 1963. This long overdue and hard-won freedom also saw the emergence of vibrant youth cultures, increased affluence and modernisation. Key photographers like Malick Sidibé, Sanlé Sory and Richidi Bissiriou captured societal shifts, as more people sought to document their lives and families. The influence of these figures continues to be felt throughout the art world, with major exhibitions such as Autograph, London’s recent showcase of the Nigerian couple behind Abi Morocco Studios and Tate’s 2023 exhibition A World in Common, bringing them to new audiences. Rosi deliberately distorts the studio style to question the colonial legacy from a 21st century perspective.
Textiles play a central role in the exhibition, once again drawing upon cultural and national histories to create a dialogue between past and present. In the photographs, individuals stand before vibrant and patterned fabric, the same that material makes up their clothing. In particular, Rosi makes use of “ABC Alphabet wax print”, a traditional European pattern that was adapted by African communities and adorned with letters, indicating that the wearer values education. The artist explained: “This fabric references colonial influences while also acknowledging the Africanisation of these textiles by Togolese market women, known as Nana Benz.” The Nana Benz were a group of businesswomen who provided a bridge between local consumers and European manufacturers during the 1970s. They are credited with positioning Togo’s capital city of Lomé as key region for textile distribution. Some portraits are printed on this very cotton fabric, giving an additional material layer to Rosi‘s exploration of Togo‘s history.
In Protektorat, Silvia Rosi interweaves postcolonial criticism with personal and playful moments. The bright and vibrant images create a dialogue between the past and the present, reminding us that the legacy of imperial actions is never far away. This is an enlightening and unflinching exploration of collective memory, national history and historic injustices.
Silvia Rosi: Protektorat is at C/O Berlin until 7 May: co-berlin.org
Words: Emma Jacob
Image Credits:
ABC – Grafton G2651, 2022 © Silvia Rosi, produced with the support of the MAXXI Foundation and BVLGARI.
VL00017-296, 2024.
ABC – Grafton G2651, 2022 © Silvia Rosi, produced with the support of the MAXXI Foundation and BVLGARI.
VL00017–298, 2024.
