Four-week research trip (supported by Pro Helvetia) to Nairobi and Lamu (Kenya) and Lagos (Nigeria) on the topic of contemporary mythologies.
The stories we tell ourselves significantly influence how our society functions and what it considers important – and the current moment of upheaval requires new impulses. The research trip to Kenya and Nigeria was the first step in a longer-term project that explores contemporary mythologies.
I have been working on mythologies since 2020 on the premise that storytelling has been a means of creating meaning for centuries. I explore the question of which plot patterns are conveyed in current series, films, exhibitions and plays, and how these relate to mythologies.
All too often they reproduce ancient mythological archetypes - whether the chosen saviour is the Son of God or one of those superheroes who shaped the entertainment industry of the 20th century and save the world as Superman, Wonder Woman or Spiderman. But the world is changing and needs new stories. Which narratives capture the global moment we are in right now? Which narratives will be relevant after the upheaval? What can a contemporary mythology look like?