Garden of Scars: An Immersive Exhibition by Ibrahim Mahama at Oude Kerk

Garden of Scars was an immersive installation by Ibrahim Mahama at the Oude Kerk, featuring sculpture, drawings, sound, and film. The exhibition explored the intertwined histories of Amsterdam and Ghana, drawing parallels between tombstone erosion and collective memory.

The installation 'Garden of Scars' by Ibrahim Mahama transformed the Oude Kerk into a space reflecting on the shared history between Amsterdam and Ghana, a region where Mahama actively engages in cultural and social projects. The exhibition's central metaphor draws from the tombstones covering the church's floor, which Mahama likens to scars that evoke memories and teleport the mind to specific moments. These smooth, eroded surfaces, along with casts of tombstones from both the Oude Kerk and Mahama's hometown of Tamale, Ghana, formed hundreds of concrete sculptures. Personal, everyday objects collected door-to-door in Ghanaian villages, such as wooden furniture and metal lamps, protruded from these sculptures, symbolizing home while referencing a global colonial history. Other elements included rubber moulds of former Dutch forts in Ghana, and over 1,500 bats suspended near the roof vault, symbolizing rebirth and wisdom in contrast to Western negative associations. Large charcoal drawings adorned the walls, further illustrating Mahama's exploration of global networks and shared pasts. The work was significantly inspired by the Oude Kerk's tombstone floor, prompting visitors to participate in creating rubbings with charcoal, which were then incorporated into the sculptural elements and monumental drawings. The sculptures themselves, made from Ghanaian soil, were heavy with geological past and bore imprints of gravestones and fort structures. Mahama collaborated with over 100 students, artists, and craftsmen in Tamale for the production of these works. The exhibition also incorporated sound, with five hidden speakers emitting impressions from Mahama's working process, including the sounds of water, construction, conversations, and nature from Ghana, creating an auditory layer that connected the different locations and elements of his practice.

Tickets for the Oude Kerk and its exhibitions can be purchased online. Visitors are directed to the official ticketing website for booking details and entry information.