“Until the lion tells its story, the hunter is always the hero,” an African proverb states. Guided by this principle, a groundbreaking international collaboration between Ramdom, Museo Castromediano, and Artlife Matters brought Ghanaian artists and cultural practitioners to Lecce, Italy, for a powerful programme dedicated to decolonising heritage and liberating the imagination.
From 1–5 December 2025, artists, community members, and cultural experts participated in workshops, an exhibition, a conference, and a public parade exploring how tangible and intangible heritage can become tools for reclaiming narratives historically shaped by colonial structures.
The programme invited both participants and the wider public to reflect deeply on the cultural and political urgency of decolonising the gaze. The legacies of colonialism, intensified by global capitalism, continue to shape hierarchical visual and cultural systems that influence how individuals and communities see themselves and are seen by others.
These impacts are felt most strongly among migrant and diasporic communities, whose heritages are often reframed, diluted, or erased by dominant external narratives.
Through performative, communal, and participatory art forms, this project carved out new spaces for expression, care, and self-representation while re-centering perspectives often pushed to the margins.
The exchange opened with the creation of a striking 6 foot concrete totem symbolising memory, identity, and ancestral resonance. Produced in just two and a half days by Kwame Akoto-Bamfo and the Osramba team in Castrignano di Greci (LE), the artwork stands as a bridge between past and present, and between the lands people come from and the places they now inhabit.
According to Eric Agyare, Founder of Artlife Matters and curatorial lead, decolonising heritage from an African perspective “does not mean rejecting the West, but re-centring African perspectives and reclaiming the stories silenced by colonial systems.”
Artist and cultural historian Kwame Akoto-Bamfo added:
“True spirituality begins with honesty.”
One of the core components of the programme was the workshop “Echoes of Home.”It brought together foreign residents living in Lecce, guiding them through a reflective and healing process aimed at reaffirming peace, joy, and inner balance even amidst personal challenges.
Working collaboratively with the Ghanaian artistic collective, participants developed an unconventional and vibrant parade that filled Museo Castromediano with colour, rhythm, and positive energy.
Luigi Di Luca, Director of Museo Castromediano, emphasised the museum’s commitment to redefining its role within the community and expanding opportunities for international collaboration.
Exhibition, conference, and community engagement sessions
Exhibition, conference, and community engagement sessions
Creation of a monumental concrete totem
Creation of a monumental concrete totem
“Echoes of Home” healing workshop
A public parade led by Ghanaian artists and Lecce residents
A public parade led by Ghanaian artists and Lecce residents
Cross-cultural dialogues on decolonising heritage and identity
Cross-cultural dialogues on decolonising heritage and identity