
Eshina Lyo Ku Topa Topa/Typewriter
Tuli Mekondjo
Namibia
2025
Performance
In “Eshina lyo ku topa topa/Typewriter,” Tuli Mekondjo stages a performative ceremony that honours her Namibian women ancestors. In the performance, a moment of colonial communication is transformed into a space of ancestral honouring, drawing inspiration from the German colonial era in Namibia (1884-1919). Her shrine features dry food items such as mahangu and eendunga, that were collected during the colonial period and housed in the Berlin Ethnological Museum for centuries. Mekondjo carries a phallic fertility doll on her back, symbolizing her ancestors and their enduring influence. This act represents her connection to their spirits and her duty to preserve her cultural heritage. The shrine resembles a traumatized cell, reflecting the impact of colonialism on traditional food practices and cultural identity. It serves as a commentary on the historical trauma experienced by Indigenous communities while highlighting the resilience of their food traditions. The shrine also includes depictions of the oshuunda (cattle kraal), the traditional Kwanyama homestead, the olupale (sacred fireplace), and representations of embryos and fetuses.
Image Credit: Jumpin' the Gun | Creative Studio ©️ All images must be credited when shared online or by any publication.
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