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Organization, Engagement, Coloniality. Hangar: Centro de Investigações Artísticas in Lisbon.

Abstract

This paper analyzes the work of Hangar: Centro de Investigação Artística, the first artist-managed space in Portugal dealing with postcolonial issues and African art. Through an analysis of Hangar´s activities, I aim to critically examine how African art has been displayed and consumed in Portugal, particularly in relation to the production of the country´s contradictory postcolonial image. The emergence of Hangar and the development of long-term relations both with emerging artists born in Africa and with the local Afro-Portuguese community imply, I suggest, a new and more fruitful approach. This collaboration also provides new tools for artists and cultural agents to strengthen their agency against the forces of touristification and commoditization that Lisbon and contemporary art from Portuguese-speaking African countries are respectively experiencing. The text is followed by a short interview with Hangar´ founders and directors Bruno Leitão and Mónica de Miranda.

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Organization, Engagement, Coloniality. Hangar: Centro de Investigações Artísticas in Lisbon.

Author: Garrido Castellano, Carlos
Publisher: Field: A journal of Socially engaged art criticism
Year: 2017
Source: https://repositorio.ulisboa.pt/bitstream/10451/34665/1/61.pdf
O ganiza ion, Engagemen , Coloniali y. Hanga : Cen o de
In es igações A ís icas in Lisbon.
Ca los Ga ido Cas ellano
Pos -doc Resea che
Cen o de Es udos Compa a is as
Uni e sidade de Lisboa
[email protected]
Abs ac : This pape analyzes he wo k o Hanga . Cen o de In es igação
A ís ica, he i s a is -managed space in Po ugal dealing wi h pos colonial
issues and A ican a . Th ough a e ision o Hanga ´s ac i i ies, I aim o
de elop a c i ical backg ound o examine how A ican a has been displayed
and consumed in Po ugal, in ela ion wi h he p ocess o p oduc ion o he
coun y´s con adic o y pos colonial image. The eme gence o Hanga and he
de elopmen o long- e m ela ions bo h wi h eme gen a is s bo n in A ica
and wi h he local communi y o A o-descendan s implies, I sugges , a new
and mo e uc i e ous app oach o ha ma e . I also b ings new ools o
a is s and cul u al agen s o s eng hen hei agency agains he o ces o
ou is i ica ion and commodi iza ion ha Lisbon and con empo a y a om
he A ican coun ies o Po uguese Language a e espec i ely expe iencing.
The ex is ollowed by a sho in e iew wi h Hanga ´ ounde s and di ec o s
B uno Lei ão and Mónica de Mi anda.
Po ugal became a common enue o A ican a is s wi hin he las
decades o he 20 h Cen u y, especially o hose coming om he PALOPS
(Países A icanos de Língua Po uguesa). Echoing he in e es o biennials and
majo a cen e s, he na ional a ins i u ions, especially hose loca ed in
Lisbon, o ganized o hos ed se e al la ge-scale exhibi ions, including majo
cu a o ial p ojec s and solo exhibi ions o a wide a ie y o well-known and up-
o-coming a is s om he con inen
1
. A special—and widely p oblema ic—
1
Among hose we can men ion Um oceano in ei o pa a nada (2000) Looking bo h Ways: Das
esquinas do olha (2005); Réplica e Rebeldia (2006); De Malanga ana a Ped o Cab i a Reis (2009);
F on ei as (2010) ou A is as Comp ome idos? Tal ez (2014). Fo a c i ique o his p ocess, see
Fe nandes Dias (2006); Cos a Dias (2009). Conce ning indi idual exhibi ions, we can men ion
ocus on he o me colonial e i o ies o Angola, Cape Ve de, Mozambique
and São Tomé p esided ha p ocess. The p esence o A ican a wi hin
Po uguese cul u al and exhibi ional landscape is connec ed wi h he p ocess o
ede ini ion o Po uguese pos colonial iden i y. In some way, hen, he
inc easing numbe s o cul u al and a is ic e en s ela ed o A ica a ises as a
esponse o he p esen p edicamen o he Po uguese p esen , ma ked by he
in eg a ion o he Eu opean Union, he coun y´s mode niza ion and he
con igu a ion o a mul icul u al and mul i acial ci izen y. Those p ojec s, o
cou se, a e no exemp o con adic ions: one he one hand, he e is a g owing
in e es in app oaching c i ically he cul u al p edicamen engaging wi h
Po ugal´s pos colonial geopoli ics (see Cas elo 1998; Bas os e al. 2002; Vale de
Almeida 2000, 2006, Ribei o Sanches 2006 Ribei o Sanches e al. 2011, Sousa
San os 1993, 2002); on he o he , a he same ime, he cul u al mani es a ions
p oduced wi hin he A ican con inen and hose linked o A ican mig a ion in
Po ugal ha e been commodi ized and spec acula ized, ans o ming Lisbon
in o a majo cul u al cen e o he “Lusophone” A lan ic.
When con on ing he p ojec ha I b ie ly summa ized abo e, some
conside a ions need o be made on wha a is conce ned. Fi s , he e has been a
dispa i y be ween he display and he c i icism o a is ic mani es a ions, a
phenomenon ha is inc easingly changing, pa icula ly due o he labo o
young esea che s. The numbe o esou ces dealing wi h “Lusophone” A ican
a is, hen, g owing a he same ime ha some a is s and loca ions ecei e
mo e and mo e c i ical a en ion
2
. Secondly, he exhibi ional dynamics ocusing
on A ican a ha e la gely mis ep esen ed and igno ed A o-descendan
popula ions, c ea ing a gap be ween “mode n” a wo ks and isual discou ses
o ien ed o an in e na ional and a is ic consump ion and dissemina ion, and
he local eali y and cul u al mani es a ions o mig an popula ions. Rela ed o
ha , he loci o A ican cul u al and cu a o ial p ac ices a ise as a cen al poin
o in e sec ion and con as be ween na ional expec a ions, pos colonial
anxie ies and ansna ional luxes, in which audiences and e i o ial
dema ca ions a e e y much c issc ossing class and cul u al di e ence.
he names o Pie e Hugo, Ângela Fe ei a, An ónio Ole, Kiluanji Kia Henda o Renée G een.
See Rosenga en 1998, Balona de Oli ei a 2016.
2
The A A ica p ojec (h p://a a ica.le as.ulisboa.p /p /) de eloped in he ea ly 2000s can be
men ioned as a p ecu so o he ini ia i es a ising in he las yea s. I sys ema ically co e s he
en i e scope o he A ican coun ies o Po uguese language. Alda Cos a (2013) is au ho o he
mos exhaus i e monog aph on he ma e , lacking simila essays o he o he coun ies. The
bibliog aphy on isual a s is, in any case, subs an ially smalle han he exis en on music o
li e a u e.
C ea ed in 2015, Hanga . Cen o de In es igação A ís ica a ose pa ially as
a esponse o ha p edicamen . Hanga is p esen ed as a space o in e ac ion,
especially in e es ed in “Encou ag[ing] a is ic in e ac ion and explo a ion o
he u ban en i onmen especially in he con ex s o memo y, space and
people.”
3
I is he esul o he collabo a ion be ween he Luso-Angolan a is
Mónica de Mi anda, he Po uguese cu a o B uno Lei ão and he cul u al
manage s And eia Páscoa and Ana de Almeida. A p og am o local exchanges
suppo ed by he Lisbon Ci y Council p o ided he ini ial inpu o he c ea ion
o he p ojec , which la e on consolida ed a ne wo k o local and in e na ional
a is ic and non-a is ic suppo e s and pa ne ships, including he Uni e si y
o Lisbon, Gaswo k, he T iangle Ne wo k and local cul u al associa ions
4
. The
p ojec is loca ed in he ib an neighbo hood o G aça
5
, a adi ional qua e
ha is now expe iencing a apid p ocess o gen i ica ion and becoming a
ou is ic and cul u al des ina ion ha se e al a is ic and cul u al ini ia i es a e
ying o con es and sub e . The unc ioning o Hanga is di ec ly connec ed o
ha p ocess: he cen e s i es o de eloping a s ong connec ion wi h local
audiences, o encou age a is ic exchanges wi h non-Eu opean a is s and
cu a o s, and o de elop an ongoing cul u al and esea ch p og am engaging
mul iple agen s. A blackboa d loca ed a he en ance o he h ee- loo s
building announces he quase-dialy p og amming o he space. Tha includes
heo y and p ac ice-base wo kshops, pe o mances, ideo sc eenings, unaná o
ba ouk conce s, po lucks o s udio isi s. The audiences ga he ed in hose
e en s a y, anging om young local and in e na ional c ea i es o G aça
esiden s. Some o hose ac i i ies also con ibu e o he p ojec unding; o
ins ance, some o he s udios a e en o gues s and isi ing a is s. Those
dynamics o he s udio e eal well some o he ickie issues Hanga and o he
simila Po uguese p ocess-o ien ed c ea i e associa ions ha e o deal wi h.
Hanga ocuses on pos colonial and diaspo ic issues conce ning se e al
geog aphies. Howe e , he cen e has had a special a en ion o A ican a is s.
The engagemen o Hanga wi h A ica is amed h ough wo main le els: he
cen e ´s p og amming, and he es ablishmen o pa ne ships wi h and he
3
h p://www.hanga .com.p /en/abou /
4
Among hem we can men ion he Uni e si y o Lisbon, he publishing house O eu Neg o o
A é ia: A qui ec u a e Reabili açãoo U bana.
5
Loca ed on op o Mou a ia and he Lisbon cas le, G aça is ac ually pa o he F eguesia
( e i o ial dema ca ion) de São Vicen e. The qua e is known o keeping a big numbe o local
dwelle s, and o being close o he a eas o Ma im Moniz and In enden e, wo majo a eas
inhabi ed by mig an s.
counseling o al eady exis ing o eme ging independen , a is -managed spaces
in he con inen . Conce ning he i s le el, Hanga has pionee ed a
comp ehensi e, non-exhibi ion-based app oach o A ican c ea i i y,
encou aging long- e m collabo a ions and in-dep h esea ch. Many o he
ac i i ies in ol ing A ican a is s possess a lowe p o ile han ha o la ge-
scale, collec i e shows ha can be ound in museums and biennials. Fo
example, long- e m esea ch esidencies, in e ac ion wi h se e al “local”
communi ies o c i ical con e sa ions and exchanges wi h cu a o s, ellow-
a is s and hinke s can be men ioned in his ega d. I ineu Des ou elles om
Cape Ve de, René Ta a es om São Tomé, Edson Chagas om Angola o
Eu ídice Kala and Má io Macilau om Mozambique a e among he
“Lusophone” a is s who de eloped esidencies in Hanga , employing ha ime
no only o he p epa a ion o exhibi ions and he p oduc ion o wo k, bu also
o engaging wi h Lisbon´s his o y and p esen and in e ac ing wi h he
dwelle s and isi o s o G aça. This does no always happen, being ha link
dependen o he a is ´s in e es and he kind o esea ch ac i i y she in ends o
de elop.
In any case, he dynamics included in he Hanga p og amming ep esen
a shi conce ning he ways Po uguese c ea i e p ojec s and cul u al
ins i u ions engage wi h con empo a y A ican a is ic p ac ices. Those a e
in eg a ed, wi hou being “ghe oized”, in o a b oade p og am, escaping
cu a o ial classi ica ion and hema iza ion. Fu he mo e, i we look a he a is
choice, we will see how young and ela i ely unknown names abound o e
a is s wi h an al eady success ul in e na ional ca ee . Thi d, he di e si ica ion
o p ac ices beyond exhibi ional and comme cial in e es s make possible he
in e ac ion wi h non-a is ic local audiences. Ha ing said ha , i is also
necessa y o men ion ha hose in e ac ions a e also embedded wi hin he
spa ial logic o accessibili y and isibili y agmen ing and o ganizing Lisbon´s
cul u al landscape. Those poin s by no means imply, hen, ha Hanga ´s in e es
in A ican a is disconnec ed o he gene al p edicamen I ou lined a he
beginning o his ex ; ne e heless, hey ha e o igina ed an unp eceden ed
phenomenon, ans o ming Po ugal´s cu a o ial and cul u al a enas.
***
In he ollowing con e sa ion I in ended o discuss wi h he ounde s o
Hanga some o he issues ou lined in he p e ious ex , paying special a en ion
a he cen e ´s in e es in “Lusophone” A ican a . The eason o jux aposing
he p e ious insigh s wi h his g oup con e sa ion has o do wi h my own
ela ion wi h Hanga . Since i s c ea ion I ha e collabo a ed egula ly wi h
Hanga , bo h gi ing alks and pa icipa ing in semina s and ound ables, and
also a ending pe o mances and conce s. Th ough his g oup in e iew, my
in e es is o analyze how Hanga ´s ounde s see hei posi ion ega ding he
con ex o Lisbon and ega ding a b oade ansna ional “Lusophone”
amewo k.
Ca los Ga ido Wha a e he easons behind he c ea ion o Hanga ?
Which needs do you in end o ul ill?
B uno Lei ão The Hanga a ose in esponse o di e en wills, bu
abo e all because o he need o si ing on he same able a is s, cu a o s and
esea che s. This is ou base, unning h ough all Hanga ´s ac i i ies.
Resea che s wo k in a pa icula way, cu a o s oo, hey ha e ano he c i e ion
in many issues such as he selec ion o a is s, and hose ha e hei own in e es
in play. We wan ed o pu hose h ee sphe es oge he . Fu he mo e, we had a
in e es in anscending he No h-Sou h di ide, in es ablishing Sou h-Sou h
links. The e i o ial scope o Hanga is a - eaching, bu we pu a big emphasis
on La in Ame ica and A ica, ocusing mos ly, bu no exclusi ely, on isual
a s. This is ou p ima y a ea o in e es . As a esponse o ha , we con igu e a
schedule ha ing o do wi h Ame ican and A ican a is s, bu also wi h hei
diaspo as, wi hou o ge ing a s ong pa linked o ecen Po uguese a . We
ha e a p og am called Po uguese a since 1974, we wan o map ou
con empo a y his o y, o app oach people who a e s ill he e o be con ac ed,
ali e and ac i e, including cu a o s, c i ics and galle is s.
Mónica de Mi anda The Hanga was c ea ed om a cul u al associa ion,
Xe em, which was ounded in 2010. Xe em s a ed de eloping a is ic
esidencies and cul u al exchanges wi hin he T iangle Ne wo k. Those
exchanges we e spo adic, al hough hey g ew in he las yea s, when we s a ed
es ablishing pa ne ships wi h A ica and B azil, which c ea ed a mo e in ense
and ac i e pano ama, he eo he need o inding a space o he schedule o be
pe manen . Then we applied o a call o local de elopmen in he a eas o a
and cul u e, we go i , and om he e we c ea ed Hanga . I became a s uc u e
la ge han he associa ion behind i , i acqui ed i s own shape, wi h a new eam
in eg a ed by people ocusing on speci ic asks. We ha e a ho izon al s uc u e
whe e each o us coo dina es a pa and is esponsible o each o he ac i i ies,
bu hen we sha e ou poin o iew wi h he es abou all he ini ia i es we
de elop. Ou p ojec inhe i s he adi ion and expe ience o a is - un spaces,
al hough we a e no only a is s managing he cen e , since we y o os e a
mo e ho izon al and less hie a chic dialogue wi h cu a o s, wi h heo y. We

belie e ha a is s can widely con ibu e o a mo e a en i e and deepe
hough and c i ique, we encou age collabo a ion, we ou pa ake Hanga ´s
ou main a eas, which a e esea ch, exhibi ions, esidencies and pa icipa ion.
Those ou a eas a e in e ela ed in many ways, o ins ance a wo kshop can
u n in o an exhibi ion, an exhibi ion can end up being a con e ence se ies o a
esea ch p ocess, his could de elop an exhibi ion, and so on.
C Why Lisbon, and mo e speci ically, why he qua e o G aça? Wha does
he con ex b ing o Hanga ?
B As you know, I ha e a connec ion wi h Mad id, bu o me he good
hing o Hanga being he e in Lisbon is ha he e he e is a na u al link wi h
A ica, one ha you won´ ind in Mad id, o example. In u n, Mad id is
s ongly connec ed wi h La in Ame ica, some hing ha doesn´ happen in
Lisbon. Fo me i is like ha ing he bes o bo h wo lds. Mónica has mo e
con ac s wi h and knowledge in ela ion o A ica, I am mo e o ien ed o La in
Ame ica and No h Eu ope, bu abo e all Spain and La in Ame ica. This is one
o ou bigges ad an ages.
The ac o being in G aça…I ´s a qua e ha was no endy when we
a i e, a i s he loca ion was a bi indi e en , al hough G aça is in e es ing
because we a e close o Ma im Moniz, o In enden e, we ha e se e al
communi ies a ound he e coming om coun ies we seek o engage wi h. We
de elop a wo k ha seeks o gi e a eedback o ou communi y, o c ea e a kind
o in e ace wi h he people li ing a ound us. The esul s o ou ac ion o he
Bangladeshi, Indian o A ican diaspo ic communi ies inhabi ing hose a eas o
Lisbon…I´m no a sociologis , you see, so I canno alk much abou ha , only
when we had se e al yea s o ac i i y we would see i he balance is posi i e o
wha kind o impac a e we ha ing, bu I know he e is o su e an impac in
ou p ac ice. We ied o encou age he encoun e , o example, when we
o ganize po lucks wi h he Angolan communi y we in end o a ac pe sons
ha ha e no hing o do wi h he a wo ld. We y o call he neighbo s o he
Hanga o c ea e ha in e ace.
M: G aça was a happy acciden . The place ound us. We we e sea ching o a
place and he building we ound wi h he cha ac e is ics we wan ed was in ha
neighbo hood. Soon he loca ion became impo an o he p ojec as is an a ea
wi h a la ge numbe o mig an communi ies bu also o a e y se led
Po uguese popula ion in e ac ing in he same place. We a e in a hill so we can
o e look Lisbon, bu a e s ill away om he ou is i ica ion ha is aking place
down own. The neighbo hood is s ill e y adi ional, bu also has a
cosmopoli an eel s a ing o occu wi h many associa ions and a is s mo ing
in o his pa o own. In ou p ojec we in ended o wo k wi h di e en
audiences and open he expe ience o con empo a y a no only o he usual
suspec s, bu o a mo e di e si ied public. We wan ed a o in e ac wi h
e e yday li e, so ha is why we also ha e a public p og am including music
e en s ha aim o each ou in o he communi y. I li ed in London o i een
yea s, and his dynamic o a is - un spaces in e ac ing wi h hei geog aphical
loca ions is na u al o me. In some sense, i was in a way my London
backg ound eaching me ha way, I was in ol ed in London in many a
p ojec s ha occu ed in inne ci y neighbo hoods like B ix on and Peckham. In
some kind o way, I had expo ed his expe ience wi h me o his p ojec .
C How do you alua e he in e ac ions ha he Hanga has b ough on ha
conce n?
B I ´s cu ious, we do no wo k uniquely wi h pos colonial issues, al hough
his is one o ou main lines. I hink you a e alking abou an issue ha he e in
Po ugal is s ill o be add essed. The e is no much c i icism abou he ma e , I
hink ha i is jus ecen ly ha many s u is being de eloped, e en [ he
newspape ] O Público did a special se ies on Po ugal´ o me colonies and so
on. I hink his is an issue ha in e es s people, bu abou which you could no
alk easily, ei he o shame o o amily bonds, some hing ha mos o he
imes p o oked si ua ions o shame o hidden p ide in many people. When we
s a ed o ganizing ac i i ies a ound hose issues, we ound a huge audience
wi hou making any signi ican e o . E e y ime we o ganize ac i i ies no
exclusi ely add essing a is ic communi ies, we ind a lo o pa icipa ion, and I
hink his is also because o wha I said, because hose ques ions we e o discuss
he e in Lisbon. People a e willing o alk abou hose ma e s, and he good
hing o being in G aça is ha we do no need o look o he communi ies o
mig an s o o he pos colonial eali y o he coun y, hey we e al eady he e
wai ing o us. I happens o me some hing ha I ne e expe ienced in Po ugal
o in Lisbon, being in an opening and no knowing many o he pe sons ha a e
he e. In Lisbon he a wo ld is qui e small, when I wo ked in MauMaus o in
he Museu Be a do I knew e e ybody hanging ou in he openings, now he e
he e a e many people ha a e new o me. I hink we a i ed in he igh
momen o deal wi h hose issues.
M. Ou aim is o open he expe ience o con empo a y a o people in gene al
and no only o he a c owd. Pos colonial issues in Po ugal a e s ill being
deal h ough a mode nis ic app oach, e y ew a is s a e ac ually om a eal
pos colonial backg ound. This some imes is an issue ha ghe oizes a is s
acco ding o he language hey speak. Howe e , he e is cu en ly a g ea
p oduc ion o A ican diaspo ic a is s dealing wi h issues ha a e o hei own.
Tha is why when you go o a biennale such as Daka o o e en s such as he
Bamako encoun e s, Lusophone a is s a e s ill a mino i y. The e a e only ew
Po uguese a is s om an A ican backg ound p ac icing nowadays in
Po ugal. Ne e heless, he e is a g ea endency o Po uguese a is s o deal
wi h pos colonial issues. Hanga wan s o in e ac wi h his p edicamen , o
ha we c ea ed p og ams such as 180º, o aim and encou age young a is s om
lusophone con ex s, especially A ican women a is s, o de elop hei p ojec s
wi h cu a o ial and p oduc ion suppo . We coun wi h he suppo o he
Fundação Callous e Gulbenkian o de elop his p og am. We also ha e wo ked
wi h local po en ial a is om he communi y.
C Conce ning a is s om A ica and he A ican diaspo a, wha o
di e en has he Hanga b ough in ela ion o mo e o icial a ins i u ions?
B We ha e a con inuous link wi h A ica, one no limi ed o o ganizing
exhibi ions. Mo eo e , we a e making a g ea e o no o ocus exclusi ely on
he Lusophone A ica. The exhibi ion we ha e now[Kin] was cu a ed by E a
Lang e , a F anco-A geline cu a o li ing in Loondon, and he e a e no
Lusophone a is s in he show. We a e ying o open he scope o he whole
A ica, no o “Po uguese A ica”. Tha happened as well wi h a p e ious
exhibi ion cu a ed by Paul Goodwin, in which a is s such as he O oli h G oup,
John Akon ah o Alia Syed pa icipa ed. This is some hing new he e in
Po ugal, no mally you will ha e ei he e y well-known names o a is s
chosen o being na i e o he o me colonies. We ied o di e si y he deba e
abou A ica.
M In my case, he e is a pe sonal, a biog aphical in e es in A ica, one ha I
also de elop in my a is ic wo k. To his I usually add my long expe ience wi h
he A ican diaspo a in London, c ea ing links ha a e now being de eloped in
Hanga h ough pa ne ships. The collabo a ion wi h Paul Goodwin and E a
Lang e , wi h whom I wo ked in London, came ha way. They a e managing
wo p ojec s ha a e ele an o he in e na ional pano ama o pos colonial a
such as he Tiwani galle y and T ain esea ch cen e a Chelsea College o A s.
This pa ne ship ga e ise o main exhibi ions a Hanga (Ghos s and Kin), which
b ough many o he geog aphies om A ica and hei diaspo as o Lisbon.
The e we e a is s om Sou h A ica, Nige ia o Kenia pa icipa ing, bu also
names such as John Ak o ah o he O oli h G oup, which a e cen al in he
pos colonial and he A ican diaspo a a scenes. Some o hese a is s,
especially hose aking pa in he Kin exhibi ion, we e showing in Po ugal o
he i s ime. Some o hem a e no so known he e al hough hei in e na ional
ecogni ion is huge. So we a e con ibu ing o open new b idges o a discou se
ha is loca ed in Lisbon bu communica es wi h he ou side.
C Wha kind o app oaches on he a o he PALOP coun ies ha e been
de eloped in Po ugal? Wha a e he p edominan discou ses on ha ma e ?
B The e is a high deg ee o pa e nalism s ill in play. The e is a high deg ee
o incapaci y when coming o y o pe cei e he speci ici ies o each con ex ,
wha each cul u e has o i s own. The e we e no so many exhibi ions abou
A ica, no in ol ing A ican a is s o a is s om he A ican diaspo a,
al hough i is a g owing phenomenon. Tha has o do, o cou se, wi h he
ma ke abili y o he issue, bu I hink all his p ocess is somehow s a ing now,
i is no ha he e we e no p eceden s bu …The e a e also cases in which en i e
exhibi ions p epa ed o o he coun ies we e impo ed wi hou any c i ical
conce n on his ac . We a e c ea ing exhibi ions speci ically c ea ed o he
Hanga , ei he by people om o he coun ies o o ou sel es, bu always
keeping in mind wha he Hanga is.
M: The e is s ill a lo o be done. The eal inpu needs o come om he a is s
hemsel es and a ma ke and con ex ha knows and unde s ands wha does i
mean “Lusophone A ican a ”. I is no only an exo ic p oduc o be consumed
in a ai s, o he poli ical agenda o councils o s udy mig a ion h ough he
a s; i is a cul u al mani es a ion wi h i s own discou ses. Bu o ha o
happen, he a is s a e esponsible o lead he mo emen , e using being
puppe s in he hands o ins i u ions o ou moded mode nis ic colonial
app oaches om a c i ics, cu a o s o museums.
C To wha ex en is he g owing a en ion on con empo a y a om he
PALOPS is connec ed o he eali y o he a o-descendan s li ing in Po ugal?
M F om he beginning we ied o in eg a e he A ican communi ies li ing
in Lisbon in ou schedule. The ques ion o he a o-descendan s in Po ugal is a
icky one. Fi s , he e a e ew a is s o A ican o igin bo n he e, e y ew, you
can coun us wi h he inge s o one hand. Then you ha e Po uguese a is s
dealing wi h pos colonial issues. The e is also a communi y o a is s who a e
al eady Po uguese, hey li e he e, bu hey we e bo n in A ica, he e o e hey
will no i he ca ego y o a o-descendan s al hough hey ha e Po uguese
passpo . They a e A icans, I would no call hem a o-descendan s. Mo eo e ,
mos o he a o-descendan s do no call hemsel es ha . They jus call
hemsel es a is s. Finally, he e in Po ugal he e lacks a c i ical backg ound
like he one you will ind in F ance o England, wi h cen e s, long-las ing
pla o ms and so on. He e we lack heo e icians, a is s, c i ics o w i ing he