A new art exhibition featuring Black artists and curated by a team of Black 涩里番 students is on display at 涩里番.
Projections: Sankofa, part of the Faculty of Engineering鈥檚 Projections art series, officially launched on May 8. It seeks to strengthen the inclusion of underrepresented groups within the Faculty through art and to increase access to art for the entire 涩里番 community.
The exhibition features three physical artworks and 14 digital artworks by 10 Black artists, nearly all of whom have ties to Montreal.
The collection was curated by Black 涩里番 students over several years. They established the theme of the exhibition, met with artists, chose the artworks, wrote descriptions for each piece and organized the related events.
The current curatorial team consists of five undergraduates: Dami Bali (pharmacology), Fedgi Dony Gaspard (physiology), Sarah Al Ghassani (liberal arts), Yvehenry Samee Julsain (computer engineering) and Gloria Muco (civil engineering).
They worked in partnership with 涩里番鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering and the Visual Arts Collection (VAC). The purchase of artworks was funded by budget accorded to 涩里番鈥檚 Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism.
鈥淚 feel privileged to be part of this amazing project,鈥� said Muco. 鈥淗elping to create a space where the Black 涩里番 community feels celebrated and seen means a lot to me.鈥�
A blank canvas
The word sankofa comes from the Akan people of Ghana and translates to 鈥済o back and get it.鈥� It reflects the theme of the exhibition: celebrating the diversity of lived realities for Africans, Caribbean people and diasporas while acknowledging the long histories of oppression that inform how those identities are represented today.
The project was inspired by , which displays the works of First Nations, Inuit and M茅tis artists in the McConnell Engineering Building. Installed in 2022 and led by Isa Pr茅vost-Aubin and the 鈥檚 Indigenous Inclusion Committee, the response to Kwe has been so positive that it continued well beyond its intended one-year run.
Prior to its launch, 鈥渢he physical space in the Faculty of Engineering was either colonial relics or a lot of blank space,鈥� said Nia Fernandez, Manager of the Office of E-IDEA (Engineering Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity Advancement) in the Faculty of Engineering. 鈥淚t lacked representation of the vibrant community that is here and has been here for years. Accessibility and inclusion in physical spaces is an important initiative and we wanted to keep the impact of Kwe going. We were excited to take the next steps and advance Black representation.鈥�
Like Kwe, Sankofa was led by 涩里番 students. The Office of E-IDEA initially recruited students through the 涩里番 chapter; others learned of it through word of mouth.
鈥淲hen I first heard about this project, I loved its vision and felt drawn to it,鈥� recalled Muco. 鈥淭he idea of having exhibitions throughout the 涩里番 Engineering buildings representing histories through art from minority groups was something I wanted to see come to life.鈥�
The creative process
Yet Sankofa presented unique challenges: while the VAC already featured a wide range of artworks by Indigenous artists prior to Kwe, it possessed few pieces by Black artists.
鈥淚 keenly remember feeling out of place in my first year because there was such a lack of Black presence on campus,鈥� recalled Bali. 鈥淭his project was a meaningful opportunity to create physical space for Black students and increase visibility.鈥�
As a result, the curatorial team went looking for art, exploring art galleries, festivals and museums.
鈥淭hat was the best part,鈥� said Gaspard. 鈥淚t was exciting to discover new artists and look for artworks and styles that fit our theme.鈥�
They were aided by Michelle Macleod, Curator at the VAC, who centred and supported the students鈥� vision.
鈥淭his is a tremendous legacy that our students have contributed to 涩里番,鈥� said Macleod. 鈥淲orking alongside Black curators to select artworks for 涩里番鈥檚 permanent collection represents an exciting approach to collection development, and an important commitment towards our ongoing efforts towards meaningful inclusion.鈥�
Staff at the Office of E-IDEA hope the idea catches on.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping this initiative extends beyond the Faculty of Engineering,鈥� said Barry Stewart, E-IDEA Community Engagement Facilitator, 鈥渁nd inspires and connects with folks throughout the institution.鈥�
The grand reveal
After revealing the exhibition鈥檚 physical artworks earlier this year at a 涩里番 event held during Black History Month, Projections: Sankofa marked its official launch with a celebration.
It featured artist H茅ritier Bilaka speaking about his piece Back to the Sources, interactive art and education stations, Caribbean food by Chef Sean SNS and music by CKUT鈥檚 DJ Rossy Ross.
The curatorial team shared what inspired their work as well as the challenges they encountered, such as how to curate an exhibition that is representative of the global Black community.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty impossible,鈥� acknowledged Al Ghassani. Instead, the curatorial team 鈥渃ollected pieces that we felt resonated with the Black communities across all borders; we honed in on our feelings as opposed to statistics.鈥�
They know their efforts will be appreciated by incoming 涩里番ians.
鈥淚 feel blessed to be one of the people chosen to provide a space for meaningful discussion for not only the Black 涩里番 community, but the greater 涩里番 community,鈥� said Julsain. 鈥淚 hope it encourages students, staff and faculty to not only break stereotypes about African and Caribbean culture, but to also be curious about other cultures not often represented on campus.鈥�
Featured artworks
Twin Virtues in Blue & Orange, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones (2021)
Back to the Sources, H茅ritier Bilaka (2023)
(2023)
Haute herbes, Marie-Danielle Duval (2024)
BLU YORO, Yannis Davy Guibinga (2025)
K脡B脡 NDIOUG脛, Yannis Davy Guibinga (2022)
Holding my Grandmother鈥檚 Oranges, Aaron Jones (2021)
(2021)
Jhelvela, Moridja Kitenge-Banza (2024)
Mater Dei, Tau Lewis (2022)
Donte Sann Yo, Shanna Strauss (2023)
Kanga I, Kanga II, Kanga III, Shanna Strauss (2023)
The Door of No Return, Shanna Strauss (2014)
Ase, Stanley Wany (2022)
This article was originally published in the .