Emeka Ogboh's latest installation, curated by Evelyn Simons 

Six years after their last bull's-eye – in the cooling tower of Horst festival, remember? – Evelyn Simons and Emeka Ogboh are back and filling up the expo space of beursschouwburg with emptiness, scent and shade.

For his first solo in Belgium, Emeka Ogboh fuses sound, scent and visual elements to unpack the sensory and cultural power of petrichor - the distinct aroma released when rain meets dry soil - as a conduit for personal and collective memories. Drawing inspiration from great Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe’s descriptions of the rainy season in his seminal novel Things Fall Apart, the multi-sensory installation Elu Na Álà (Sky and Earth) reflects on themes of resilience, nature’s rhythms, cosmology and community within Ogboh’s native Igbo culture.

In the Igbo worldview, the rainy season symbolizes both physical and spiritual renewal. When the rains arrive and yam tendrils begin to sprout, it brings together a people deeply attuned to the seasonal cycles setting the rhythm of agricultural productivity and communal life. Within this context, petrichor evokes resilience and rebirth after prolonged drought - whether that be literally or metaphorically.

In his multifaceted practice, Ogboh focuses on the sociological implications of migration, with a specific interest in the African diaspora in a post-colonial Europe. Working predominantly with sound, he welcomes various sensorial aspects into his work to create layered and visceral experiences which reflect on cultural heritage, memory and belonging.

about

Emeka Ogboh  is a Nigerian artist based between Berlin and Lagos. Working across art, music and food, Ogboh transforms sensory experiences into powerful reflections on globalisation, post-colonial histories and cultural exchange. His work has been presented at major exhibitions including documenta 14 (Athens and Kassel), Skulptur Projekte Münster, the Venice Biennale and the Dakar Biennale. In recent years, Ogboh has released two albums: Beyond the Yellow Haze (2021) and ​ 6°30’33.372”N 3°22’0.66”E (2022).

Evelyn Simons is a Belgian curator, writer and creative consultant based in Brussels. She works on site-specific art commissions, transdisciplinary collaborations and discursive activities on the crossroads between visual art and electronic music. She ran the artistic program at Horst Arts & Music (2018 - 2023) and now combines freelance curating and writing with RendezVous - Brussels Art Week, which she co-founded in 2024.

Opening hours
​Wednesday until Friday : 13:00 – 17:00
​Saturday : 13:00 – 18:00
​Until the 19th of December 2025
​Free entry

Click here for the pictures by © Fabien Silvestre Suzor

© Fabien Silvestre Suzor add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption To pick up a draggable item, press the space bar. While dragging, use the arrow keys to move the item. Press space again to drop the item in its new position, or press escape to cancel.© Fabien Silvestre Suzor add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption To pick up a draggable item, press the space bar. While dragging, use the arrow keys to move the item. Press space again to drop the item in its new position, or press escape to cancel.

© Fabien Silvestre Suzor add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption To pick up a draggable item, press the space bar. While dragging, use the arrow keys to move the item. Press space again to drop the item in its new position, or press escape to cancel.© Fabien Silvestre Suzor add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption To pick up a draggable item, press the space bar. While dragging, use the arrow keys to move the item. Press space again to drop the item in its new position, or press escape to cancel.© Fabien Silvestre Suzor add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption To pick up a draggable item, press the space bar. While dragging, use the arrow keys to move the item. Press space again to drop the item in its new position, or press escape to cancel.

© Fabien Silvestre Suzor add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption To pick up a draggable item, press the space bar. While dragging, use the arrow keys to move the item. Press space again to drop the item in its new position, or press escape to cancel.© Fabien Silvestre Suzor add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption To pick up a draggable item, press the space bar. While dragging, use the arrow keys to move the item. Press space again to drop the item in its new position, or press escape to cancel.

© Fabien Silvestre Suzor add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption To pick up a draggable item, press the space bar. While dragging, use the arrow keys to move the item. Press space again to drop the item in its new position, or press escape to cancel.© Fabien Silvestre Suzor add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption add caption To pick up a draggable item, press the space bar. While dragging, use the arrow keys to move the item. Press space again to drop the item in its new position, or press escape to cancel.