By John Owoo
(In Accra – Ghana)
An exhibition of works by Rejoice Makafui Tsotorvor that explored the connections of power, agency and resistance by challenging dominant narratives and amplifying marginalised voices, ended last week at the Museum of Archaeology, University of Ghana (Legon).
Titled “What If – Heterotopian Speculations”, it equally investigated the intricate layers of colonialism, exploitation and resistance through a speculative and thought-provoking lens, centering on the metaphorical significance of mistletoe galls.
Undeniably, these unassuming growths – products of a symbiotic yet parasitic interaction between the mistletoe and its host tree – become a powerful symbol for examining histories often relegated to the shadows.
Inspired by heterotopias, the exhibition presented a visual tapestry of drawings, animations and interactive installations that tend to encourage engagement with the ambiguities and complexities of social justice while challenging the traditional notions of time, space and social order.
Curated by Michael Babanao – the effronteries – with their hidden origins and complex relationships to their environment, mirror the dynamics of colonialism as they take on an invasive force altering its host in ways both visible and concealed.
It evoked questions about agency, power and survival, asking viewers to reflect on the costs of exploitation and the enduring marks left on bodies, landscapes and cultural identities. Through this analogy, the exhibition unearths the unseen, illuminating silenced voices and untold narratives that have shaped the world as we know it.
Through a vivid artistic intervention, the exhibition created a space for reimagining resistance and reclaiming histories long overshadowed by oppression. It encouraged viewers to envision alternative futures – ones where survival is not predicated on domination but on the recognition of interdependence, complexity and justice.
Equally stimulated by German artist Käthe Kollwitz’s powerful expressions of social justice, Tsotorvor is a Ghanaian visual artist and educator whose practice explores the transformative potential of heterotopian spaces.
Her work is informed by Social Realism, New Materialism, Postcolonial Theory and Actor-Network Theory, reflecting her deep engagement with social justice, identity and the power of marginalised communities.
Currently a tutor at Akatsi College of Education, she holds a BFA in Sculpture, an MPhil in Art Education and is currently pursuing her PhD in Sculpture. Her artistic explorations delve into the microscopic universes of mistletoe galls, transforming these miniature ecosystems into heterotopian canvases.
