Fred Kudjo Kuwornu is an Italian Afro- descendant filmmaker and activist currently living in New York. His early training was in the field of political science. We Were Here (2024), the film made by Kuwornu for the exhibition, is part of the journey that began with Inside Buffalo (2010) and continued with 18 Ius Soli (2012) and BlaxploItalian (2016). At the heart of these films is the intention to give visibility to the vicissitudes of Afro-descendants in Western societies: from historical events – such as the contribution of the 92nd Buffalo Soldiers regiment, which fought in Italy in World War II – to the micro-stories of second-generation immigrants engaged in the recognition of Italian citizenship, to the claim of Black identity in the world of creative industries and the arts. If BlaxploItalian investigates the processes of Blackness in the portrayal of the Black community in the media, We Were Here focuses on the history of art and the representation of Black Africans in European visual culture since the Renaissance. The journey is accompanied by the voice of the author, whose presence aims to create an empathic connection with the viewer.
This is the first time the work of Fred Kuwornu is presented at Biennale Arte.
—Lorenzo Giusti
